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Title: "At Home We Work Together": Domestic Feminism and Patriarchy in Little Women.
Creator: Wester, Bethany S., Moore, Dennis, Edwards, Leigh, Fenstermaker, John, Program in American and Florida Studies, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: For 136 years, Louisa May Alcott's Little Women has remained a classic in American children's literature. Although Alcott originally wrote the novel as a book for young girls, deeper issues run beneath the surface story of the March family. This thesis explores a few of these issues. Chapter One examines the roles of patriarchy and domesticity in Alcott's private life and in Little Women. Chapter Two emphasizes the Transcendentalist thinking that surrounded Alcott in her childhood, her own,...
Show moreFor 136 years, Louisa May Alcott's Little Women has remained a classic in American children's literature. Although Alcott originally wrote the novel as a book for young girls, deeper issues run beneath the surface story of the March family. This thesis explores a few of these issues. Chapter One examines the roles of patriarchy and domesticity in Alcott's private life and in Little Women. Chapter Two emphasizes the Transcendentalist thinking that surrounded Alcott in her childhood, her own, feminized Transcendentalist philosophy, and how it subsequently infiltrates the novel. Chapter Three explores the role of the struggling female artist in Little Women, as portrayed by the March sisters, especially Jo and Amy March, and how the fictional characters' struggles reflect Alcott's own problems as a female writer in a patriarchal society. Chapter Four discusses Alcott's reformist ideas and the reformist issues that surface in Little Women. Domestic feminism--the idea that a reformed family, in which men and women equally participate in domestic matters, would lead to a reformed society--emerges as the predominant reformist issue in Little Women. Alcott believed that women should be able to choose the course of their adult lives, whether that included marriage, a professional career, or otherwise, without the threat of being ostracized from society. In Little Women, the March family serves as an example of a reformed, egalitarian family in which women exercise self-reliance, employ their non-domestic talents, and still maintain femininity.
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Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-1144
Format: Thesis

Title: Graphic Imagery: Jewish American Comic Book Creators' Depictions of Class, Race, and Patriotism.
Creator: Yanes, Nicholas, Fenstermaker, John, Faulk, Barry, Stuckey-French, Ned, Program in American and Florida Studies, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Comic books printed during the 1930s and 40s contained stories and characters that supported the New Deal and America's entry into World War II. Though comic books are typically seen solely as reflections of the decades; the comic books, in actuality, were propaganda for political stances. Moreover, these were the political stances of the Jewish Americans who built the comic book industry. While much of corporate America was terrified by FDR's New Deal policies, comic books supported the...
Show moreComic books printed during the 1930s and 40s contained stories and characters that supported the New Deal and America's entry into World War II. Though comic books are typically seen solely as reflections of the decades; the comic books, in actuality, were propaganda for political stances. Moreover, these were the political stances of the Jewish Americans who built the comic book industry. While much of corporate America was terrified by FDR's New Deal policies, comic books supported the President. When war loomed on the horizon, comic book writers and artists sent patriotic superheroes to war long before the country became mobilized. Finally, the political dialogue taking place in comic books resonated with the American public because they were created in a time when patriotism was synonymous with sacrifice.
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Date Issued: 2008
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-1162
Format: Thesis

Title: On Shaving: Barbershop Violence in American Literature.
Creator: Yadon, Ben, Moore, Dennis, Fenstermaker, John, Parrish, Timothy, Program in American and Florida Studies, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: This thesis identifies and examines the trope of barbershop violence in American literature. Drawing on a wide range of literary, scholarly, and historical documents, I explore the way that certain authors subvert traditional ideas about barbershop discourse and use the quintessential American setting as a stage for failed nostalgia, tragic miscommunication, and outbursts of irrational violence in order to craft fictions that call on readers to strive for a more authentic and humanistic...
Show moreThis thesis identifies and examines the trope of barbershop violence in American literature. Drawing on a wide range of literary, scholarly, and historical documents, I explore the way that certain authors subvert traditional ideas about barbershop discourse and use the quintessential American setting as a stage for failed nostalgia, tragic miscommunication, and outbursts of irrational violence in order to craft fictions that call on readers to strive for a more authentic and humanistic identification with their fellow man. In the first chapter I take a close look at Herman Melville's tableau of barbering in the 1855 novella Benito Cereno within a socio-historic context and then trace allusions to this seminal barbering scene in a number of works to show how many authors depict barbershop miscommunication and violence in order to highlight the racial disparities at the heart of American society. In Chapter Two I borrow the sophisticated methodology of James Joyce scholar Cheryl Temple Herr to examine contemporary American novelist Don DeLillo's numerous depictions of the barbershop through the prism of Heideggerian ontology.
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Date Issued: 2008
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-1177
Format: Thesis

Title: Louis J. Witte: Hollywood Special Effects Magician.
Creator: Snyder, Joanna Sumners, Fenstermaker, John, Moore, Dennis, Parrish, Timothy, Program in American and Florida Studies, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Louis John Witte is a man whose name is lost to time and whose work is overshadowed by flashier modern-day computerized advancements in movie wizardry. Nevertheless, he remains a cornerstone upon which a thriving scientific discipline has been built. Although he and his creations existed well before the advent of computer technology, he is credited with inventing devices that advanced the art of faking realism by replacing state-of-the-art crude facsimiles and dangerous replications with...
Show moreLouis John Witte is a man whose name is lost to time and whose work is overshadowed by flashier modern-day computerized advancements in movie wizardry. Nevertheless, he remains a cornerstone upon which a thriving scientific discipline has been built. Although he and his creations existed well before the advent of computer technology, he is credited with inventing devices that advanced the art of faking realism by replacing state-of-the-art crude facsimiles and dangerous replications with safer, hyper-realistic models. Witte's inventions erased the boundary separating audiences from the bona fide. His contribution to the science of entertainment coincided with the historic period 1896-1946, in which "movies were the most popular and influential medium of culture in the United States" (Sklar 3). Not only did Witte give his valuable civilian expertise to his country, but he also was a veteran of WWI, when during a "long lonely and dangerous mission," he was wounded (Leavell Appendix II). "Sergeant Louis J. Witte," a telegram written to his mother reads, "was wound [sic] in the Meuse-Argonne operation, on the night of Oct. 2nd., 1918, by an air bomb, and was evacuated to the hospital" (Leavell Appendix II). Witte's service and injury earned him the Purple Heart commendation for his involvement in that battle.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-1653
Format: Thesis

Title: From Boom to Bust: Ghost Towns of Selected Florida Gulf Coast Communities.
Creator: Roberts, Rebecca, Davis, Frederick, Fenstermaker, John, Bickley, Bruce, Program in American and Florida Studies, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: This thesis examines extinct or vanishing towns along Florida's northwest coast, specifically communities in Wakulla and Levy Counties, that experienced a boom to bust phenomena between Florida's territorial period and the early twentieth century. The exceptional growth of the selected areas prospered largely due to an abundance of seemingly inexhaustible natural resources. The towns withered and disappeared when industrialization depleted the natural resources or when populations shifted...
Show moreThis thesis examines extinct or vanishing towns along Florida's northwest coast, specifically communities in Wakulla and Levy Counties, that experienced a boom to bust phenomena between Florida's territorial period and the early twentieth century. The exceptional growth of the selected areas prospered largely due to an abundance of seemingly inexhaustible natural resources. The towns withered and disappeared when industrialization depleted the natural resources or when populations shifted according to changes in land availability and mandated land use. Lumberyards sometimes demanded specific wood for manufacture and harvested a species to decimation within a geographical area. Sawmill owners bought non-contiguous land or leased other nearby lands to meet the increasing need for production. Early Gulf Coast railroads tended to follow the path of high-yield lumber mills and commodified natural products. Newly implemented laws often changed the methods of available collection, and consumption of resources and became another factor in whether a town thrived or died. Small, independent commercial fishermen abandoned their livelihoods when new net bans challenged their authority. Hunting resorts closed in consequence of federal land purchases. The Civil War changed forever the labor force behind cotton production. Southerners who viewed slaves as just another limitless resource had to reevaluate their lifestyles. Even the old planters and slave owners who could readjust morally and socially were unable to realign themselves financially and the death of their beneficent town soon followed. Freedmen left their master's land when and if opportunity arose in favor of newer or black-cultured communities. An out-migration of freedmen could lead to the death of post Civil War towns. The demise of many southern ghost towns is often attributed to technological advances and progress bypassing the sleepier little villages, but this theory diminishes, if not totally dismisses the agency of a single person, or a select group of people, to make or challenge decisions contributing to the boom or bust of a particular settlement. It is true that the areas studied often witnessed a loss of transportation services and outward migration in favor of larger or newer sites, but a breach usually appeared in the town's power-structure long before population loss. Larger political, social, and economic forces working outside of the geographical area of a future ghost town were not truly as powerful as might be expected. Instead, the decisions of a relatively small group of citizens, who often had contacts with people connected to larger government forces, made decisions independently of a town council and greatly contributed to the sometimes gradual and sometimes swift extinction of their own districts. The town's lack of a powerful force could be equally devastating if the area received no external representation.
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Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-1821
Format: Thesis

Title: Activism amid a Chaotic Era: The Underground Press of the 1960S.
Creator: Nelson, Hope, Jumonville, Neil, Fenstermaker, John, Coxwell-Teague, Deborah, Program in American and Florida Studies, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: This thesis addresses the major activist and radical issues of the 1960s and early 1970s and illustrates the myriad shifts that take place within each of these social movements as depicted in the alternative press of the era. These movements serve as reflections of the shift of the collective American character throughout the 1960s, and while they propel America to adjust to new mindsets, they also reflect the desires – and fears – of a nation thrust into a chaotic postwar period. But despite...
Show moreThis thesis addresses the major activist and radical issues of the 1960s and early 1970s and illustrates the myriad shifts that take place within each of these social movements as depicted in the alternative press of the era. These movements serve as reflections of the shift of the collective American character throughout the 1960s, and while they propel America to adjust to new mindsets, they also reflect the desires – and fears – of a nation thrust into a chaotic postwar period. But despite their differences in goals and ideologies, the major movements of the era – the struggles for civil rights, women's rights, and peace in the face of war – bring with them many similarities, more than many historians are wont to depict. So often, such historians focus solely on one of the activist movements of the 1960s, seemingly overlooking other events of the decades that could perhaps be catalysts or results of a particular movement's actions. But the groups that formed and the events that took place within the decade did so with a high degree of interconnectedness, even in ways that are not readily apparent initially. This mentality is illustrated quite clearly within the alternative newspapers of the era. Specifically, the bylines and subjects showing up in a forum for one activist movement often echo those from other publications and other movements. More generally, the motives, tactics, and even slogans made successful by one movement often were employed by activists in other realms, adding much to the collective ideological shifts of the era. Through the alternative press, it is easy to see the tendencies toward chaos even within the movements themselves; rarely does a neat and tidy chronology of progression exist. These newspapers chronicled the transformations taking place with the times – indeed, a shift from semantics to activism, from a more passive ideology to one that was vibrant with action. But such shifts are not easily decipherable and are nestled among shades of gray rather than being decidedly black and white. And it is those gray areas, those areas of confusion, tension, frustration, and joy, that this thesis analyzes.
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Date Issued: 2004
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-2684
Format: Thesis

Title: The New Community School: Placing Informal Musuem Education into Historical Context.
Creator: Langham, Audrey Elizabeth, Jumonville, Neil, Wiegand, Wayne, Koslow, Jennifer, Program in American and Florida Studies, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Recently museums have begun to feature public programming that engages new audiences, they partner with a number of diverse community organizations, and they put the focus of their efforts on education. With these new focuses they have changed from didactic institutions to places where the visitor may confirm his experience, and at times may add his own voice to the discussion. This shift in focus has been swift, and scholarship is only beginning to catch up with the values being expressed in...
Show moreRecently museums have begun to feature public programming that engages new audiences, they partner with a number of diverse community organizations, and they put the focus of their efforts on education. With these new focuses they have changed from didactic institutions to places where the visitor may confirm his experience, and at times may add his own voice to the discussion. This shift in focus has been swift, and scholarship is only beginning to catch up with the values being expressed in the profession. It is my intention to offer a history of educational philosophy that is relevant and useful for museum professionals by closely examining two historical lines of thought. Progressive education provides a framework that museums can use to model their educational programming. Creating hands-on programming, and focusing on the individuality of the learner are important aspects of progressive educations that museum professionals can use for their own programming. The idea of the community school focuses on partnerships, the use of the physical building, and bringing a number of resources together in one place. This set of ideas follows the paths that museums use to receive funding and strengthen their relationships within their local community. Local history museums have begun to use these all ideas, and focusing their attention on similar work done in the past is an important step for the profession. Therefore these two concepts provide a historically relevant and important background for present day museum programming.
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Date Issued: 2008
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-3287
Format: Thesis

Title: Ocean Hill-Brownsville and Changes in American Liberalism.
Creator: Childs, Andrew Geddings, Moore, Dennis, Wood, Susan, Jumonville, Neil, Program in American and Florida Studies, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: This thesis explores the relationship of the confrontation at Ocean Hill-Brownsville and the change away from New Deal liberalism and toward separatism. Through historicizing this issue, I also critiquethe changing nature of professionalism, the push for community control and decentralization of schools, and how these ideas influence democracy in education. Various people involved in the confrontation during the summer and fall of 1968 represent the particular positions of each side of the...
Show moreThis thesis explores the relationship of the confrontation at Ocean Hill-Brownsville and the change away from New Deal liberalism and toward separatism. Through historicizing this issue, I also critiquethe changing nature of professionalism, the push for community control and decentralization of schools, and how these ideas influence democracy in education. Various people involved in the confrontation during the summer and fall of 1968 represent the particular positions of each side of the issue. Further, these two sides are also personified in the AFT (American Federatino of Teachers)and the advocates of community control and decentralization. Through my examination, I attemtp to locate the importance of the experiment in community control in the Ocean Hill-Brownsville district under the greater context of American liberalism.
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Date Issued: 2008
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-3815
Format: Thesis

Title: Kinking the Stereotype: Barbers and Hairstyles as Signifiers of Authentic American Racial Performance.
Creator: Freeland, Scott, Lhamon, William T., Anderson, Leon, Sommer, Sally, Program in American and Florida Studies, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: When Sherman Dudley's black barber character, Raspberry Snow, took to the stage in 1910, his pre-promoted "shiftless" personality fulfilled American audiences' conditioned, pejorative expectations for blackness. A closer look at the storyline, however, suggests Dudley fashioned Snow's predictability to be an example of the opportunity for subversion of power that exists for stereotyped individuals. Embodying the surface attributes of the stereotype designed to confine them, a number of...
Show moreWhen Sherman Dudley's black barber character, Raspberry Snow, took to the stage in 1910, his pre-promoted "shiftless" personality fulfilled American audiences' conditioned, pejorative expectations for blackness. A closer look at the storyline, however, suggests Dudley fashioned Snow's predictability to be an example of the opportunity for subversion of power that exists for stereotyped individuals. Embodying the surface attributes of the stereotype designed to confine them, a number of American performing personae escape persecution, and even profit by lulling their "audiences" (read: adversaries) into believing all is well. Quite often, performing the stereotype is as simple as donning a notably "black" hairstyle, or presuming the supposedly docile attributes associated with black barbers. Moreover, there is strong evidence to suggest that since at least the early nineteenth century, storytellers both black and white have contributed to the promotion of this powerful secret. Black hairstyles and barbers that subvert racist intentions are a recurring theme throughout American lore, and their inclusion in tales by Dan Emmett and Herman Melville resurface in later works by Charles Chesnutt and Sherman Dudley. This paper traces a lineage of characters who successfully subvert an imposed power structure, and whose messages continue to recycle themselves in modern-day performances that suggest black and white are not as far apart as conventional wisdom would have us believe.
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Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-4398
Format: Thesis

Title: The United States and the International Criminal Court: A Relationship That Can Redefine American Foreign Policy.
Creator: Swaisgood, Daniel Robert, Coonan, Terry, D'Alemberte, Talbot (Sandy), Jumonville, Neil, Program in American and Florida Studies, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: In response to a heightening concern for international justice, in the late 1990`s in Rome, Italy over 160 countries deliberated on the most suitable approach to an international standard dealing with war crimes, crimes of aggression, crimes against humanity and genocide. In reference to the International Criminal Court`s jurisdiction, these four crimes have come to be termed ―core crimes.‖ Although the culmination was the establishment of the ICC a variety of countries stood against such an...
Show moreIn response to a heightening concern for international justice, in the late 1990`s in Rome, Italy over 160 countries deliberated on the most suitable approach to an international standard dealing with war crimes, crimes of aggression, crimes against humanity and genocide. In reference to the International Criminal Court`s jurisdiction, these four crimes have come to be termed ―core crimes.‖ Although the culmination was the establishment of the ICC a variety of countries stood against such an establishment and fought to weaken the Court`s jurisdictional reach. The United States of America took center stage during the deliberations in Rome as one of these countries, voting against the Court with such infamous human rights abusers as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Iran, among others. Determined to undermine the Court`s ability to threaten national sovereignty the U.S. even went so far as to pass legislation enabling it to invade The Hague upon the possible arrest of any U.S. military representative. Despite U.S. objections though, the Court operates as a new standard for international justice and labors to hold war criminals accountable. Further, among the various movements, standards and ad hoc tribunals, the ICC stands alone as the first permanent international judicial composition with universal jurisdiction over core crimes. With the Court having a direct affect on international human rights standards and accountability, as well as being an important leader through its role on the global stage, this paper will detail the history of the aforementioned movements as well as their influence on the ICC`s creation. Further, the U.S. objections and reaction to the Court will be summarized and responded to with the conclusion that U.S. interests would be served by both signing and ratifying the Rome Treaty. Whereas a denial of ICC jurisdiction over core crimes seemingly protects national sovereignty, the same denial undermines the U.S. position of leadership in the world theatre. Finally, although more difficult to quantify, undermining the position of U.S. leadership in this manner invariably creates a far more dangerous threat to U.S. national sovereignty than does allowing the ICC to exercise complementary jurisdiction over the core crimes.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-5217
Format: Thesis

Title: Distant Music: Recorded Music, Manners, and American Identity.
Creator: Attaway, Jacklyn, Faulk, Barry J., Jumonville, Neil, McGregory, Jerrilyn, Program in American and Florida Studies, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: This thesis discusses Derrida's theory of Hauntology, establishes a theoretical framework for an analysis of the hauntological aesthetic in recorded music, and explores the hauntological aesthetic in reference to Victorian spirit photography and contemporary recorded music of producer-musicians such as Greg Ashley, Jason Quever, Tim Presley, and Ariel Pink. By describing and analyzing the recorded music of said producer-musicians, this thesis reveals how aesthetically hauntological recorded...
Show moreThis thesis discusses Derrida's theory of Hauntology, establishes a theoretical framework for an analysis of the hauntological aesthetic in recorded music, and explores the hauntological aesthetic in reference to Victorian spirit photography and contemporary recorded music of producer-musicians such as Greg Ashley, Jason Quever, Tim Presley, and Ariel Pink. By describing and analyzing the recorded music of said producer-musicians, this thesis reveals how aesthetically hauntological recorded music expresses American anxieties concerning the effects of changing technologies and cultural transitions. In effect, this thesis shows how American ideologies operate as "ghosts," and how one can better interpret and understand these core values by combining aesthetics and history through the medium of recorded music.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-5315
Format: Thesis

Title: Losing Home: Why Rural Northwest Florida Needs to Be Saved.
Creator: Riley-Taylor, Zena S., Jumonville, Neil, Davis, Frederick, Koslow, Jennifer, Program in American and Florida Studies, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Land use in Florida has seen many changes since it became an American territory in 1821. But while land use can be a categorical term for classifying property, it can also take on a more valuable meaning. When the land was originally opened up for frontier settlers and wealthy planters to farm in the early years, it usually meant family and freedom as individuals and large kinship networks migrated south to establish homesteads and plantations. This population was mostly concentrated in...
Show moreLand use in Florida has seen many changes since it became an American territory in 1821. But while land use can be a categorical term for classifying property, it can also take on a more valuable meaning. When the land was originally opened up for frontier settlers and wealthy planters to farm in the early years, it usually meant family and freedom as individuals and large kinship networks migrated south to establish homesteads and plantations. This population was mostly concentrated in Middle Florida or the northern part of the state. Leading up to the Civil War, cotton was obviously a royal crop and a manufacturing movement emerged to support the momentum toward Southern independence. However, the aftermath of the Civil War seems to be a turning point for the dominantly agrarian region as timber, railroads, and tourism changed the way residents used the land. While Northwest Florida retained agriculture as a major part of the economy, the peninsula became more developed and populated, mostly with wealthy Northern tourists, and in effect, the state transformed into two distinct regions with very different environments and cultures. Comparisons between the two sections are made throughout the study to illustrate lessons that can be learned from one to the other. Sprawl, congestion, and overdevelopment's assault on the environment are common concerns. My focus for this study is to show how land use and essentially rural life changed for those individuals who were accustomed to subsistence farming in Northwest Florida. Land prices, a decline in farm acreage, population distribution, and suburbanization exhibit this transformation. In addition, the intention is to show the assets of the Panhandle through its environment, rural character, and agrarian heritage which equates into a revered quality of life. The rural places of Northwest Florida deserve protection from inappropriate and misplaced development using rural land conservation and land-use planning techniques while revitalizing towns and cities that have already been developed and preserving the region's vast historical resources for future generations.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-7577
Format: Thesis

Title: A Critical Evaluation of Alternative Methods and Paradigms for Conducting Mediation Analysis in Operations Management Research.
Creator: Malhotra, Manoj K. (Manoj Kumar), Singhal, Cherry, Shang, Guangzhi, Ployhart, Robert E.
Abstract/Description: Mediation as a theory testing approach has witnessed considerable adoption among Operations Management (OM) researchers. Although mediation-testing methods have evolved tremendously in the past decade, their dissemination in the OM field has not seen parallel growth. These advanced techniques facilitate the testing of existing and complex hypotheses in a more precise manner. With the intent of critically evaluating existing and alternative methods for conducting mediation analysis needed to...
Show moreMediation as a theory testing approach has witnessed considerable adoption among Operations Management (OM) researchers. Although mediation-testing methods have evolved tremendously in the past decade, their dissemination in the OM field has not seen parallel growth. These advanced techniques facilitate the testing of existing and complex hypotheses in a more precise manner. With the intent of critically evaluating existing and alternative methods for conducting mediation analysis needed to support sophisticated empirical research, this paper first reviews OM studies that tested for mediation in the past eleven years (2002-2012) from top-tier OM journals. Four commonly used mediation approaches were identified. Based on principles of good theory building, type of mediation model, and properties of empirical data, we evaluate the existing methodologies and make recommendations on how to improve the rigor of OM mediation testing. Using published OM studies in top journals as examples, we then illustrate the relevance and advantages of these recommendations, as well as their ease of use. Furthermore, we empirically show that more robust and insightful results can be achieved by adopting these techniques, which in turn have the promise of leading to better theory building and testing in the field of operations management.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: FSU_migr_dm_faculty_publications-0024, 10.1016/j.jom.2014.01.003
Format: Citation

Title: Ideological, Dystopic, and Antimythopoeic Formations of Masculinity in the Vietnam War Film.
Creator: Stegall, Elliott, Kelsay, John, Bearor, Karen, Erndl, Kathleen M., Edwards, Leigh H., Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Program in Interdisciplinary...
Show moreStegall, Elliott, Kelsay, John, Bearor, Karen, Erndl, Kathleen M., Edwards, Leigh H., Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Program in Interdisciplinary Humanities
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Abstract/Description: This dissertation argues that representations of masculinity in the Hollywood war/combat films of the Vietnam film cycle reflect the changing and changed mores of the era in which they were made, and that these representations are so prevalent as to suggest a culture-wide shift in notions of masculinity since the Vietnam War. I demonstrate that the majority of the representations of masculinity in the Vietnam War film cycle (an expression that includes all films on the Vietnam War but...
Show moreThis dissertation argues that representations of masculinity in the Hollywood war/combat films of the Vietnam film cycle reflect the changing and changed mores of the era in which they were made, and that these representations are so prevalent as to suggest a culture-wide shift in notions of masculinity since the Vietnam War. I demonstrate that the majority of the representations of masculinity in the Vietnam War film cycle (an expression that includes all films on the Vietnam War but particularly those produced in Hollywood) have achieved mythic status--accepted truths--but are often exaggerated and/or are erroneous to the point of affecting how historical events are understood by subsequent generations. Such is the power of cinema. This dissertation, then, adopts a cultural-political-historical perspective to investigate Hollywood's virtual re-creation of the Vietnam War and its combat participants as dystopic, anti-mythopoeic figures whose allegiance to patriotism, God, and duty are shown to be tragically betrayed by a changing paradigm of masculinity and has thus created a new mythos of the American male which abides in the American consciousness to this day. All of which is to ask, why was there such a significant change from admirable cinematic representations of America as a nation that represents the ideology of freedom and liberty for all and U.S. soldiers as the hallmark of strength and goodness in the WW II movies to the mostly wretched representations of both in the Vietnam War cycle? While each chapter of my dissertation will attempt to identify plausible answers to these questions, I will also seek to explore why and how these alterations from the regnant traditions of American values--honoring the military, respecting the government and other traditions, such as the nuclear family, marriage as a sacred institution, monogamy as the respected norm, children as inviolable, gender roles as fixed, separation of the races, etc.--came to such a tumultuous head in the 1960s and resulted in the significantly altered constructs of values and masculinity that have become the norm in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century. In order to investigate historical cinematic representations effectively, it is necessary to consider the actual events of the times and challenge the subsequent various mythopoeic formations of the Hollywood Vietnam veteran.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-9251
Format: Thesis

Title: The Resurgence of Cold War Imagery in Western Popular Culture.
Creator: Van Jelgerhuis, Daniel, Wakamiya, Lisa Ryoko, Romanchuk, Robert, Edwards, Leigh H., Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Modern Languages and...
Show moreVan Jelgerhuis, Daniel, Wakamiya, Lisa Ryoko, Romanchuk, Robert, Edwards, Leigh H., Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics
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Abstract/Description: The portrayal of Russia in Western popular culture has served various purposes, particularly between 1945 and 1991. With a few exceptions, Soviet citizens, particularly Russians, have been shown as, alternatingly, backwards peasants and cunning enemies. In the post-1991 period, this tradition of showing Russia as the enemy continued in film and television, but tapered off in favor of more seemingly relevant foes on the world stage. While film analyses focusing on the portrayal of Russia and...
Show moreThe portrayal of Russia in Western popular culture has served various purposes, particularly between 1945 and 1991. With a few exceptions, Soviet citizens, particularly Russians, have been shown as, alternatingly, backwards peasants and cunning enemies. In the post-1991 period, this tradition of showing Russia as the enemy continued in film and television, but tapered off in favor of more seemingly relevant foes on the world stage. While film analyses focusing on the portrayal of Russia and Russians have been done, the renewal of focus on Cold War imagery in reference to Russia and the West has not been commented on. Because of the so-called Illegals Program uncovered in 2010, the attempted "reset" between the United States and the Russian Federation, increased Western media coverage of human rights issues in Russia, and many other types of exposure, including the annexation of Crimea and the conflict with Russia-backed anti-Kiev militias in eastern Ukraine, Russia has taken center-stage and is subject not only to international scrutiny, but also to rehashed prejudices and outdated knowledge of the country that stems from old antagonisms. The television programs The Americans, Archer, and Doctor Who all look at Russia and the relationship of Russia with the West through a Cold War lens. I argue that this resurgence is in response to both Cold War nostalgia and a renewal of Russia's relevance on the world stage. By analyzing these programs, it will be shown that the types of information and impressions that are being promoted by popular culture of late at once serve to provide nuance to an ordinarily one-sided and limited portrayal of Russia and its people, and at the same time reinforce old, stale images of the "Evil Empire" that only serve to prevent understanding and cooperation between the citizens of the West and of Russia.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-9476
Format: Thesis

Title: Music Scenes in America: Gainesville, Florida as a Case Study for Historicizing Subculture.
Creator: Vandegrift, Micah, Jumonville, Neil, Gunderson, Frank, Faulk, Barry, Program in American and Florida Studies, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The history of music scenes is a topic that has been misunderstood. Scholarship has tended to focus on sociological theory as a basis for understanding how and why music scenes exist and motivate youth. While accomplishing important work and connecting the study of scenes to academia, theory has left uncovered the narrative history of music scenes. Setting scenes in their specific historical, social and cultural context allows them to be examined by a different set of research goals and...
Show moreThe history of music scenes is a topic that has been misunderstood. Scholarship has tended to focus on sociological theory as a basis for understanding how and why music scenes exist and motivate youth. While accomplishing important work and connecting the study of scenes to academia, theory has left uncovered the narrative history of music scenes. Setting scenes in their specific historical, social and cultural context allows them to be examined by a different set of research goals and methods. In this paper, I outline a historiography of music scenes, from the original implications of subcultural research to ethnography in the early 1990s. Tracing the literature on scenes, I argue that studying scenes from my position in 2009 must be accomplished with a historical point of view, not ignoring theory, but placing narrative history as the primary methodology. The growth of post-punk music scenes in America throughout the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s had extensive effects on popular culture, and through understanding the history first, I propose researchers will have a better grasp on what a scene is, why it functions in society, and how it has affected regional and national subcultural identity. I used Gainesville, Florida as an example of this method. The social characteristics of Florida and the shifts in the national subculture throughout the 1990s are two essential points I bring to bear in the case study of Gainesville. Overall, I hope to introduce Florida's scenes as anomalous instances of subcultural activity and to spur further inquiry on the topic of (re)writing music scenes into the history of youth culture, especially in the 1990s.
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-4589
Format: Thesis

Title: Liability of teachers for school accidents.
Creator: McKinley, David, Parker, Edna E., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study is to gather and to present information on the liability structure of our legal system in such a manner as to help the classroom teacher to understand more fully his legal responsibilities and thus relieve him of unwarranted fears regarding accidents and injuries resulting from classroom activities. It is hoped that this study will ultimately contribute to the security of those who read it and give encouragement to those who seek to enrich their classes by means of...
Show moreThe purpose of this study is to gather and to present information on the liability structure of our legal system in such a manner as to help the classroom teacher to understand more fully his legal responsibilities and thus relieve him of unwarranted fears regarding accidents and injuries resulting from classroom activities. It is hoped that this study will ultimately contribute to the security of those who read it and give encouragement to those who seek to enrich their classes by means of the experience type curriculum.
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Date Issued: 1956
Identifier: FSU_historic_alb9563
Format: Thesis

Title: Education for leisure time through the school curriculum which will meet the needs of our changing society.
Creator: Hughes, Wayne W., Strickland, Virgil E., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this paper is primarily that of determining what recreational needs exist today, what social changes have occurred to bring about these needs, what unit of society is most capable of taking the lead in meeting these needs, and what procedures may be adopted for meeting them. An interest in this subject has stemmed from observation of two main factors: (1) The existence of inadequate programs for meeting recreational needs in schools with which the writer has been associated,...
Show moreThe purpose of this paper is primarily that of determining what recreational needs exist today, what social changes have occurred to bring about these needs, what unit of society is most capable of taking the lead in meeting these needs, and what procedures may be adopted for meeting them. An interest in this subject has stemmed from observation of two main factors: (1) The existence of inadequate programs for meeting recreational needs in schools with which the writer has been associated, and (2) General indifference to or ignorance of the importance of educating for worthwhile use of leisure time.
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Date Issued: 1953
Identifier: FSU_historic_ALA4633
Format: Thesis

Title: The responsibility of the principal in developing an instructional program to meet the needs of the community and the individual.
Creator: Howell, Harry, Dean, Harris William, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: In the frontier days of America, the school and the community supplemented one another. Frontier life as simple and the requirements for existence on the frontier were, more often than not, a strong back rather than a strong mind. The task of the school, therefore, was relatively simple. The school amply fulfilled its duties if it provided "Reading" with which one might read from the bible, "Ritin" so that simple letter might be written and records kept, and "Rithmetic" which could be used to...
Show moreIn the frontier days of America, the school and the community supplemented one another. Frontier life as simple and the requirements for existence on the frontier were, more often than not, a strong back rather than a strong mind. The task of the school, therefore, was relatively simple. The school amply fulfilled its duties if it provided "Reading" with which one might read from the bible, "Ritin" so that simple letter might be written and records kept, and "Rithmetic" which could be used to keep account and make measurements.
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Date Issued: 1959
Identifier: FSU_historic_ala4823
Format: Thesis

Title: An analysis of the idea of cooperative planning in the elementary school.
Creator: Mears, John M., Dean, Harris William, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: In this study the writer intends to examine the literature on the purposes of the school and society as they are served by cooperative planning, select some of the best that has been said in regards to cooperative planing and to point up pathways to future growth through cooperative planning.
Date Issued: 1950
Identifier: FSU_historic_alb4235
Format: Thesis

Title: Organization of primary reading programs based on certain growth concepts.
Creator: Clifton, Marian Curry, Swearingen, Mildred E., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Reading has been a persistent problem since schools began. They were established primarily to teach children to read. This was necessary in order to bring our written language into general use. The public today usually determines its estimate of the schools primarily by success in teaching reading. It is the purpose of the writer to describe an effectively organized reading program for slow-growing children in the primary grades. The term "slow-growing" as used means those children who...
Show moreReading has been a persistent problem since schools began. They were established primarily to teach children to read. This was necessary in order to bring our written language into general use. The public today usually determines its estimate of the schools primarily by success in teaching reading. It is the purpose of the writer to describe an effectively organized reading program for slow-growing children in the primary grades. The term "slow-growing" as used means those children who because of the nature of their physical, emotional, social, or intellectual developments are slower in total growth than the so-called average child.
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Date Issued: 1953
Identifier: FSU_historic_akw1888
Format: Thesis

Title: A study of the effects of various types of rest periods in a morning kindergarten on the behavior characteristics of five year olds.
Creator: Rhodes, Frances, Leeper, Sarah Hammond, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The reasons for this study are to try to determine what the rest needs of the kindergarten child are and to investigate the effects of different types of rest periods on the behavior of five year olds in a morning kindergarten. It is hoped that the information gained from this study will be of help to kindergarten teachers in determining the type of rest period best suited to the needs of the children that they teach.
Date Issued: 1954
Identifier: FSU_historic_akx0451
Format: Thesis

Title: Reading and the mentally retarded child.
Creator: Kenyon, Barbara Mae, Leeper, Sarah Hammond, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: In our culture the ability to read holds an eminent position. Many of the ordinary practices of daily living are associated with reading. Comprehending labels, bank statements, signs, bill boards, newspapers, books, and letters are but a few of the items encountered by individuals daily. For successful: existence in society, each individual must be able to read with sufficient comprehension to enable him to carry on the normal procedures of life. The reading program of the schools has been a...
Show moreIn our culture the ability to read holds an eminent position. Many of the ordinary practices of daily living are associated with reading. Comprehending labels, bank statements, signs, bill boards, newspapers, books, and letters are but a few of the items encountered by individuals daily. For successful: existence in society, each individual must be able to read with sufficient comprehension to enable him to carry on the normal procedures of life. The reading program of the schools has been a topic of extensive investigation in recent years. Educators, lay people, parents and students have discussed the methods and procedures employed in the present reading programs. Much emphasis in the discussions has been placed upon the youngsters in school who are not progressing at a rate associated with a particular grade level.
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Date Issued: 1957
Identifier: FSU_historic_AKX0530
Format: Thesis

Title: A study of problems involved in teaching the slow learner to read.
Creator: Goit, Margaret Lindsay, Moon, Robert C., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: For twenty-six years the writer has been teaching in the elementary and secondary schools. Here she found one of the most important, as well as one of the most perplexing, problems to be that of teaching the slow-learning child to read to the best of his ability. The problem is serious at all levels, but it is at the secondary level that it becomes more apparent and more serious, particularly so in many secondary schools whose curriculums have not been adjusted to meet the needs and abilities...
Show moreFor twenty-six years the writer has been teaching in the elementary and secondary schools. Here she found one of the most important, as well as one of the most perplexing, problems to be that of teaching the slow-learning child to read to the best of his ability. The problem is serious at all levels, but it is at the secondary level that it becomes more apparent and more serious, particularly so in many secondary schools whose curriculums have not been adjusted to meet the needs and abilities of this slow-learning individual. It is because of experience with this problem and the importance attached to it by authorities in the field of education that the writer has made this study.
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Date Issued: 1952
Identifier: FSU_historic_AKU3771
Format: Thesis

Title: A study of the direction in which certain design understanding can be developed by prospective elementary teachers by means of an experience with scrap material printing.
Creator: Eells, William L., Schwartz, Julia, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: "This study is made in an attempt to determine the direction in which certain design understandings can be developed by prospective elementary teachers by means of an experience with scrap material printing. The activity may be defined as one which involves printing with objects of differing shapes, textures, or lines, and combinations of these elements to achieve various effects. The design concepts which were selected as representing positive goals are listed as follows: 1. It does not take...
Show more"This study is made in an attempt to determine the direction in which certain design understandings can be developed by prospective elementary teachers by means of an experience with scrap material printing. The activity may be defined as one which involves printing with objects of differing shapes, textures, or lines, and combinations of these elements to achieve various effects. The design concepts which were selected as representing positive goals are listed as follows: 1. It does not take expensive materials, necessarily, to make a design. 2. The designer selects and organizes materials for his design. These materials have colors, shapes, textures, and lines, and it is these which the designer organizes in different combinations. Through such combinations he gets varied effects. 3. The designer considers the nature of the materials used for his design. He relates his design to its environment and function. 4. The designer expresses himself and interprets some of the principles or structures in nature. He does not reflect nature itself"--Introduction.
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Date Issued: 1950
Identifier: FSU_historic_aku8600
Format: Thesis

Title: The science program in secondary schools.
Creator: Barton, Dale S., Stone, Mode L., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: "The purpose of this paper is to examine the place of science in the secondary school program. It is assumed that the place of science in the curriculum has to be justified in such a study. Justification for teaching science is approached in this paper through a study of the nature of the society that creates and maintains the school; the nature of learning and the individual; and the unique contributions that science education can make for a better adjustment of the individual to his...
Show more"The purpose of this paper is to examine the place of science in the secondary school program. It is assumed that the place of science in the curriculum has to be justified in such a study. Justification for teaching science is approached in this paper through a study of the nature of the society that creates and maintains the school; the nature of learning and the individual; and the unique contributions that science education can make for a better adjustment of the individual to his environment. It is hoped that this paper might stimulate other science teachers to explore some of the varied references mentioned herein"--Introduction.
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Date Issued: 1949
Identifier: FSU_historic_aku8607
Format: Thesis

Title: Some suggestions for constructing tests and test items for the primary grades of the elementary school.
Creator: Edwards, Maxine, DeGraff, Mark H., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: "This problem was chosen because there seems to be a need for an understanding by primary teachers about what learnings should be tested and how to test those learnings. For too long we, as teachers of the first, second, and third grades of the elementary school of America, have relied on our subjective opinions as an adequate measure of the child's progress. If we, in our educational program, are going to insist that children come to school, and progress from grade to grade, we will have to...
Show more"This problem was chosen because there seems to be a need for an understanding by primary teachers about what learnings should be tested and how to test those learnings. For too long we, as teachers of the first, second, and third grades of the elementary school of America, have relied on our subjective opinions as an adequate measure of the child's progress. If we, in our educational program, are going to insist that children come to school, and progress from grade to grade, we will have to base the criteria that govern advancing from one grade to another on something more scientific than teacher observations. This is the plan that was followed for arriving at some workable regulations to govern the construction of teacher-made tests for the lower elementary grades. Material in text books on measurement and primary teaching methods was explored. Periodicals were examined in hopes of finding some very recent research in the field. The study of standardized tests showed the writer what had successfully been done. In constructing test items the use of teachers' manuals, workbooks, and state bulletins should be invaluable"--Introduction.
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Date Issued: 1950
Identifier: FSU_historic_aku8699
Format: Thesis

Title: A study of relationships as they affect the school administration.
Creator: Gardner, J. C., Strickland, Virgil, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Many factors enter into and influence the operation of modern public schools. Whether the operation is smooth, onward going and successful or rough, static or retrogressive and unsuccessful is determined in large measure by the kind of person who occupies the administrative position. The school of today is complex and is so much a "big business" that a well qualified administrator is a requirement. The day of the stern old school master whose word, implemented by a rod and facial expressions...
Show moreMany factors enter into and influence the operation of modern public schools. Whether the operation is smooth, onward going and successful or rough, static or retrogressive and unsuccessful is determined in large measure by the kind of person who occupies the administrative position. The school of today is complex and is so much a "big business" that a well qualified administrator is a requirement. The day of the stern old school master whose word, implemented by a rod and facial expressions of approval or disapproval, was law, and whose only required qualifications were the ability to keep order and see that students learned what was between the covers of the textbook is no more.
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Date Issued: 1954
Identifier: FSU_historic_akw1776
Format: Thesis

Title: Certain selected court decisions which have affected education.
Creator: Noles, Ralph J., Dean, Harris William, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: "The purpose of this paper is to make a study of some of the Supreme Court decisions that have affected education. The cases to be cited are the ones thought to be of most value to the writer in the field of school administration. No attempt has been made to show all the court decisions which have influenced education. Cases from the United States Supreme Court and cases from several of the various State Supreme Courts have been selected and studied"--Introduction.
Date Issued: 1951
Identifier: FSU_historic_akp4975
Format: Thesis

Title: A study of the practices of public school administration in ten west Florida counties.
Creator: Penton, Troy, Dean, Harris William, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: "The ten counties, namely, Calhoun, Jackson, Gulf, Bay, Washington, Holmes, Walton, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, and Escambia were surveyed with the purpose of finding out what type of relationships existed among the superintendent, the school board members and the members of the board of trustees. Another purpose of the study was to find out how policies governing the administration of the school programs were formulated and who are responsible for recommending these policies for adoption. The...
Show more"The ten counties, namely, Calhoun, Jackson, Gulf, Bay, Washington, Holmes, Walton, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, and Escambia were surveyed with the purpose of finding out what type of relationships existed among the superintendent, the school board members and the members of the board of trustees. Another purpose of the study was to find out how policies governing the administration of the school programs were formulated and who are responsible for recommending these policies for adoption. The writer was interested in seeing how uniform the administrative practices were in these counties and how they correspond with the provision of law and State Board Regulations. The writer was also interested in finding out how broad the participation was of those who are connected with the school programs in these counties in formulating policies, preparation of the school budget and school calendars and other related phases of the school program"--Introduction.
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Date Issued: 1951
Identifier: FSU_historic_aku3746
Format: Thesis

Title: The history, organization, and purpose of the Heritage Club, with an analysis of its publications and a brief history of its affiliated organizations, the Limited Editions Club and the Heritage Press.
Creator: Borden, M. Page, Clapp, Robert George, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: "The greater the variety of people who succeed in unlocking the store-house to their intellectual heritages, the greater the bounty of the librarian. It is with these thoughts in mind that the present study is undertaken, the analysis and evaluation of the contribution of a single publishing house in the production and promotion of books characterized as 'the classics which are our heritage from the past in editions which are the heritage of the future.' The firm is the Heritage Press and its...
Show more"The greater the variety of people who succeed in unlocking the store-house to their intellectual heritages, the greater the bounty of the librarian. It is with these thoughts in mind that the present study is undertaken, the analysis and evaluation of the contribution of a single publishing house in the production and promotion of books characterized as 'the classics which are our heritage from the past in editions which are the heritage of the future.' The firm is the Heritage Press and its outlet, the Heritage Club, an organization which may well be studied to ascertain its contributions to some readers' intellectual heritage. The first step will be to relate the history, purpose, and organization of the club. Next, by making use of the publisher's statements in the house organ, the Prospectus for the Eighteenth Series, 1953, the publications will be analyzed"--Introduction.
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Date Issued: 1955
Identifier: FSU_historic_akd9780
Format: Thesis

Title: A study of the "Land of the free" series of junior historical novels.
Creator: Menoher, Violet Irene, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: "This paper is a study of the group of books known as the 'Land of the Free' Series, published by the John C. Winston Company. There are twenty-one junior historical novels in this series, each one dealing with a different national group which has come to America to live and which has made some contribution to American culture. Stories in the series present the following nationalities or racial groups: Dutch, Irish, Greek, Negro, Basque, Viking, French, Italian, Swedish, Norwegian, Swiss,...
Show more"This paper is a study of the group of books known as the 'Land of the Free' Series, published by the John C. Winston Company. There are twenty-one junior historical novels in this series, each one dealing with a different national group which has come to America to live and which has made some contribution to American culture. Stories in the series present the following nationalities or racial groups: Dutch, Irish, Greek, Negro, Basque, Viking, French, Italian, Swedish, Norwegian, Swiss, Scottish, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, English, German, Welsh, Bohemian, and American Indian"--Introduction.
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Date Issued: 1958
Identifier: FSU_historic_akd9789
Format: Thesis

Title: The novels and plays of Rose Franken.
Creator: McLendon, Ethel M., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: "A concern for those 'details which most people don't care about' is the 'province' of all professional librarians and in the selection of a topic for a professional paper this writer has had as a concern the finding of a topic that would foster and further bibliographic competency. As a result an author who is not well-known or recognized in literary circles, but one who has afforded much pleasure and enjoyment to the popular reading public, was chosen. This author, Rose Franken, was...
Show more"A concern for those 'details which most people don't care about' is the 'province' of all professional librarians and in the selection of a topic for a professional paper this writer has had as a concern the finding of a topic that would foster and further bibliographic competency. As a result an author who is not well-known or recognized in literary circles, but one who has afforded much pleasure and enjoyment to the popular reading public, was chosen. This author, Rose Franken, was selected for three reasons. The first was that, her personal life having been a thing apart and biographical material thus limiter, the promise of finding and relating fugitive material about her offered a challenge. The second was that, her plots and themes having been repeated often, the possibility of finding their connections seemed a worthy endeavor. The third was that, Franzen having been published in book separate and omnibus editions under similar titles, the discovery of the relationships between the original printing and omnibus editions was held of interest and use. Consideration of her literary output has been limited to works printed in book form, with the exception of one novel, Claudia, the Diary of a Marriage, which, although it has not appeared between hard covers, was included because it is the concluding volume of the 'Claudia' stories"--Introduction.
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Date Issued: 1955
Identifier: FSU_historic_akd9793
Format: Thesis

Title: A report of an experiment in parent relationships.
Creator: Wread, Dorothy, Leeper, Sarah Hammond, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: "Research in child development has provided many findings of great significance, but in addition to reading these facts and findings, all individuals dealing with children need to formulate a definite point of view regarding child development. This point of view should include an understanding of the importance of why children react as they do, a spirit of inquiry, a genuine interest, and a sincere attempt to analyze development correctly"--Introduction.
Date Issued: 1951
Identifier: FSU_historic_akp2756
Format: Thesis

Title: Music of the stage in the public schools of America.
Creator: Wright, Marilyn Jean, Housewright, Wiley L., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: "The purpose of this study is to determine the extent of interest and activity in musical stage productions in the public schools of America. In addition, there appears to be a need for definite information concerning; (a) the degree of encouragement given to this type of activity by national professional organization, local groups and individuals; (b) the availability of teaching materials relating to music drama, opera and other musical stage works; (c) finally, because music educators are...
Show more"The purpose of this study is to determine the extent of interest and activity in musical stage productions in the public schools of America. In addition, there appears to be a need for definite information concerning; (a) the degree of encouragement given to this type of activity by national professional organization, local groups and individuals; (b) the availability of teaching materials relating to music drama, opera and other musical stage works; (c) finally, because music educators are not agreed as to the value of stage productions, it is desirable that an evaluation of these activities be made"--Introduction.
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Date Issued: 1955
Identifier: FSU_historic_akp2784
Format: Thesis

Title: The Pulitzer Prize plays, 1918-1950: An evaluation and appraisal.
Creator: Finch, Mary Jane, Anders, Mary Edna, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The increase in the number of literary awards has created a selection problem for the librarian in that she is not always able to accept automatically a work solely on the basis of its recognition as a prize winner. It has become necessary that the librarian familiarize herself with the background and program of the body making the award, the works per se and subsequent criticism in order to judge their worth for the library collection. The writer of this paper, recognizing this problem, was...
Show moreThe increase in the number of literary awards has created a selection problem for the librarian in that she is not always able to accept automatically a work solely on the basis of its recognition as a prize winner. It has become necessary that the librarian familiarize herself with the background and program of the body making the award, the works per se and subsequent criticism in order to judge their worth for the library collection. The writer of this paper, recognizing this problem, was prompted to investigate the worth of literary awards. A preliminary survey of the awards and critics' reaction to them indicated a more detailed study would be justified. A thorough investigation of all the literary awards would be impossible, but a study restricted to one seemed worthwhile as well as practical. This, in turn, would form a basis for the evaluation of comparable awards, for techniques employed here, in all probability, could be used in a study of other recognized literary works. This paper, therefore, encompasses Pulitzer Prize dramas for 1918 to 1950 and evaluates these dramas, in terms of popular and literary merit.
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Date Issued: 1953
Identifier: FSU_historic_akd8978
Format: Thesis

Title: A survey of storage of audio-visual materials in eight educational television stations.
Creator: Scoles, Joyce Pipkin, Rockwood, Ruth H., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: "Most stations probably keep various materials in order that they may be used again. Because there is a definite saving of time if materials are stored systematically and are readily available, the question arises as to how the various educational television stations in the country maintain a record of what they have produced and obtained in the way of audio-visual materials which will probably be useful in later programming. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to: (1) determine what...
Show more"Most stations probably keep various materials in order that they may be used again. Because there is a definite saving of time if materials are stored systematically and are readily available, the question arises as to how the various educational television stations in the country maintain a record of what they have produced and obtained in the way of audio-visual materials which will probably be useful in later programming. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to: (1) determine what types of audio-visual materials educational television stations store; (2) learn of the physical arrangement of the storage of these materials; and (3) ascertain if these materials are indexed, and, if so, in what manner. In order to answer these questions, it was decided that a survey of the methods of storage of audio-visual materials in educational stations at least five years old would be attempted"--Introduction.
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Date Issued: 1961
Identifier: FSU_historic_akd9023
Format: Thesis

Title: An analysis of the selections of the first year of the Book-of-the-Month Club.
Creator: Jordan, Marjorie Fulton, Clapp, Robert George, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: In 1926 the Book-of-the-Month Club sent its first selection to 4,750 members. Twenty three years later the club had 4,000,000 members, had distributed over 100,000,000 books, and was one of sixty such clubs operating in the United States. Much discussion has taken place and many articles have been written during this period relative to the merits of these organizations. The attacks have been made largely on the following points: (1) the organization was foisting on the public in dictatorial...
Show moreIn 1926 the Book-of-the-Month Club sent its first selection to 4,750 members. Twenty three years later the club had 4,000,000 members, had distributed over 100,000,000 books, and was one of sixty such clubs operating in the United States. Much discussion has taken place and many articles have been written during this period relative to the merits of these organizations. The attacks have been made largely on the following points: (1) the organization was foisting on the public in dictatorial fashion prescribed reading; (2) emphasis was placed on economy, rather than the excellence of the book; (3) the young or unknown author was unable to compete with authors of established reputations; (4) a few favored publishers were receiving club's business and would force smaller and newer firms out of business; (5) retail book stores were losing sales because club members were paying less than retail prices; and (6) the book clubs were lowering the public taste. Time has weakened many of these arguments and the fears have proved groundless. But the final charge relative to the lowering of public taste still remains current and debatable. The criticism on this point has been bitter and is one of great interest to the librarian. For this reason the purpose of this paper is to try to adjudge the validity of that contention by examining and analyzing the selections of one of the clubs for a limited period in order to see the quality of the selections as evidenced by the evaluations of critics, both at the time of the publications of the books and at the present time.
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Date Issued: 1950
Identifier: FSU_historic_akd9030
Format: Thesis

Title: Consideration of the authors and periodicals represented in The best American short stories, 1931-1950.
Creator: Potter, Richard C., Clapp, Robert George, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: This paper examines the characteristics of The Best American Short Stories and the personalities reponsible for this series. More specifically, the goal of the paper is to add intelligence to the general store of knowledge in the area of the American short story, first, by demonstrating through statistics, biographical data and a summation of critical opinion the salient characteristics of the series; second, by giving statistical-analytical data relative to the periodicals furnishing the...
Show moreThis paper examines the characteristics of The Best American Short Stories and the personalities reponsible for this series. More specifically, the goal of the paper is to add intelligence to the general store of knowledge in the area of the American short story, first, by demonstrating through statistics, biographical data and a summation of critical opinion the salient characteristics of the series; second, by giving statistical-analytical data relative to the periodicals furnishing the selections; third, by presenting statistical-biographical characteristics of the authors contributing to the series; and fourth, by making a biographical examination of the important personalities intimately associated with the series.
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Date Issued: 1957
Identifier: FSU_historic_akd9033
Format: Thesis

Title: The Sunday-school movement and its influence on children's literature.
Creator: Knight, Mary Lou, Gregory, Agnes, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: "The purpose of this paper is to trace the origin and progress of the Sunday-school movement and its influence on the development of children's literature. The procedure followed in this paper has been to identify, read and analyze all available material on the subject of the Sunday-school movement--its origin, its founder, Robert Raikes, and its progress in England and America. The authors who wrote for children during this period were studied carefully--their backgrounds and lives and their...
Show more"The purpose of this paper is to trace the origin and progress of the Sunday-school movement and its influence on the development of children's literature. The procedure followed in this paper has been to identify, read and analyze all available material on the subject of the Sunday-school movement--its origin, its founder, Robert Raikes, and its progress in England and America. The authors who wrote for children during this period were studied carefully--their backgrounds and lives and their interests in the movement. Lastly, all available children's books written by these authors were read or examined critically"--Introduction.
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Date Issued: 1953
Identifier: FSU_historic_akd9039
Format: Thesis

Title: The dividend books of the Book-of-the-Month Club: An appraisal and an evaluation.
Creator: Kent, Emma Ruth, Clapp, Robert George, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The phenomenal rise in the number of book clubs in the United States in the past twenty-five years has resulted in much being written and said on the subject of their value. The success of these clubs has raised fears in the minds of some people that books may soon be tailored less to art than to the requirements of the clubs' mass audience. The success that the clubs have had in getting the American people to buy books when the booksellers and others have failed, can probably be attributed...
Show moreThe phenomenal rise in the number of book clubs in the United States in the past twenty-five years has resulted in much being written and said on the subject of their value. The success of these clubs has raised fears in the minds of some people that books may soon be tailored less to art than to the requirements of the clubs' mass audience. The success that the clubs have had in getting the American people to buy books when the booksellers and others have failed, can probably be attributed to one key word that is found in the publicity of all the clubs: "free." A controversy about the use of the word "free" has been raging for the last few years between the Book-of-the-Month Club and the Federal Trade Commission. The Commissioners were unable to agree with the Book-of-the-Month Club's contention that statements contained in the advertisements, disclosing those things which the customer must do in order to receive the so-called "free" books, "neutralize the probability or possibility of deception." The purpose of this paper is not, however, to discuss the controversy of the Book-of-the-Month Club versus the Federal Trade Commission, or to be concerned with the free or bonus aspect of any club's promotional endeavors. Its purpose is to consider whether or not books so obtained are worth having, be they "free," bonus, or priced, and whether or not they are creditable selections. In considering the question of dividend books it obviously would be desirable to evaluate the books distributed by all book clubs, but this would not be a project with a range of accomplishment within the scope of this paper. It was, therefore, decided to take as a specimen the divident books of one such club and to attempt to adjudge on the basis of critical opinion their merits.
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Date Issued: 1952
Identifier: FSU_historic_akd9040
Format: Thesis

Title: Mathew Carey: Editor, publisher and bookseller.
Creator: Vandiver, La Nelle, Clapp, Robert George, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: "In view of his success in making notable contributions to the literature of America, this writer wondered as to why Carey, apparently an important contributor of his age, had received so little credit among the historians of American culture. This perplexity gave rise to this paper in which his contributions as an editor, publisher, and bookseller are being examined. In so doing his position among his contemporaries is being studied to ascertain his proper place among the leaders in the...
Show more"In view of his success in making notable contributions to the literature of America, this writer wondered as to why Carey, apparently an important contributor of his age, had received so little credit among the historians of American culture. This perplexity gave rise to this paper in which his contributions as an editor, publisher, and bookseller are being examined. In so doing his position among his contemporaries is being studied to ascertain his proper place among the leaders in the periodical world, and to discover when writers to whom he gave a helping hand lived through the years, why Carey, who encouraged them, published their works even though financial returns were very uncertain, and introduced them to the American public, fails to receive proper recognition"--Introduction.
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Date Issued: 1952
Identifier: FSU_historic_akd9127
Format: Thesis

Title: Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, regional writer: An annotated bibliography.
Creator: Rogero, Thomas T., Gregory, Agnes, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: "The purpose of this paper is to present the life and works of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings by writing her biography with a summary of her contributions to the field of regional literature. The writer of this paper, a native Floridian, developed an interest in Mrs. Rawlings and her works because of Mrs. Rawlings's importance as a Florida novelist and the local settings of her novels and short stories. He has attempted to present an overall picture of the life of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings in...
Show more"The purpose of this paper is to present the life and works of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings by writing her biography with a summary of her contributions to the field of regional literature. The writer of this paper, a native Floridian, developed an interest in Mrs. Rawlings and her works because of Mrs. Rawlings's importance as a Florida novelist and the local settings of her novels and short stories. He has attempted to present an overall picture of the life of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings in relation to her literary works dealing basically with her novels and short stories"--Introduction.
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Date Issued: 1954
Identifier: FSU_historic_akd9139
Format: Thesis

Title: The use of frequency modulation radio in the public schools of the United States.
Creator: Janke, Leslie H., Mitchell, John W., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: "When the subject of the use of FM radio in the public schools was suggested by the writer as a subject for a research paper one of the first comments made by a fellow student was, 'Radio is a dead issue. Television has already made it out of date.' This comment immediately made the subject a challenge. Had we in America, in less than a generation, advanced to rapidly that one of the world's greatest media of communication was already out of date? The writing of this paper is an effort to...
Show more"When the subject of the use of FM radio in the public schools was suggested by the writer as a subject for a research paper one of the first comments made by a fellow student was, 'Radio is a dead issue. Television has already made it out of date.' This comment immediately made the subject a challenge. Had we in America, in less than a generation, advanced to rapidly that one of the world's greatest media of communication was already out of date? The writing of this paper is an effort to answer that question, and in answering it to present a picture of the status of frequency modulation broadcasting in the public schools throughout the nation today"--Introduction.
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Date Issued: 1953
Identifier: FSU_historic_akd9141
Format: Thesis

Title: Kate Seredy: A bio-bibliography.
Creator: Sutor, Peggy M., Gregory, Agnes, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: "In spite of being noted for their materialism, Americans have advanced further than any other country in both stimulating and satisfying children's curiosity and respecting their individuality by providing them with inviting libraries overflowing with good literature. In accomplishing this the United States has fostered the work of many foreign writers and artists, who have blended their own heritage and culture with modern American life. Among these foreign born author-artists of children's...
Show more"In spite of being noted for their materialism, Americans have advanced further than any other country in both stimulating and satisfying children's curiosity and respecting their individuality by providing them with inviting libraries overflowing with good literature. In accomplishing this the United States has fostered the work of many foreign writers and artists, who have blended their own heritage and culture with modern American life. Among these foreign born author-artists of children's books is Kate Seredy, whose creative work in such books as The Good Master and The White Stag gives her a rightful place among the outstanding artists of this age. The purpose of this paper is to show how her early Hungarian life and her later absorption into American society influenced her stories and pictures to contribute to the vast wealth of children's books. This will be done by a brief biography of her life and a discussion of her works"--Introduction.
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Date Issued: 1955
Identifier: FSU_historic_akd9177
Format: Thesis

Title: Into simple channels: The rebellion of Budd Schulberg.
Creator: Suydam, Mary Suhr, Rockwood, Ruth H., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: "The purpose of this paper is to bring into focus a picture of Budd Schulberg's life in relation to his work since both the man and his work are of concern to a librarian. Schulberg's books are widely read in this country and throughout the world. Many biographical and autobiographical articles have appeared; but they have been scattered in a wide variety of periodicals, newspapers, and standard biographical reference sources. All of his books have been reviewed and discussed, but never as a...
Show more"The purpose of this paper is to bring into focus a picture of Budd Schulberg's life in relation to his work since both the man and his work are of concern to a librarian. Schulberg's books are widely read in this country and throughout the world. Many biographical and autobiographical articles have appeared; but they have been scattered in a wide variety of periodicals, newspapers, and standard biographical reference sources. All of his books have been reviewed and discussed, but never as a complete, related body of work. There has been no previous attempt to gather all information about him and his writing into one informative, interpretive source"--Introduction.
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Date Issued: 1958
Identifier: FSU_historic_akd9189
Format: Thesis

Title: Journal of a foreign correspondent: The life and works of William L. Shirer.
Creator: Talbott, Thelma Mae, Galloway, Louise, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: "This paper is an attempt to familiarize librarians and others with William L. Shirer, an author in the field of history and foreign affairs, both subjects of great concern to anyone wishing to understand the problems confronting the world today. Only through a knowledge of the events of the past can the events of the present and the future be understood, and it is the responsibility of the library to disseminate the ne[ce]ssary information. Therefore, the material in this paper should assist...
Show more"This paper is an attempt to familiarize librarians and others with William L. Shirer, an author in the field of history and foreign affairs, both subjects of great concern to anyone wishing to understand the problems confronting the world today. Only through a knowledge of the events of the past can the events of the present and the future be understood, and it is the responsibility of the library to disseminate the ne[ce]ssary information. Therefore, the material in this paper should assist librarians in evaluating the books of William L. Shirer for inclusion in their respective libraries"--Introduction.
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Date Issued: 1961
Identifier: FSU_historic_akd9190
Format: Thesis

Title: The contribution of Laura Ingalls Wilder to the field of literature for children.
Creator: Himes, Mae, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: "The purpose of this paper is to present the life and works of Laura Ingalls Wilder with special attention paid to those influences that have given her work an enduring quality and to give a critical evaluation of her work as found in reviews written by experts in the field of children's literature"--Introduction.
Date Issued: 1955
Identifier: FSU_historic_akd9201
Format: Thesis

Title: The Literary Guild of America: A study of its selections for the year 1948.
Creator: Hula, Anna Marie, Anders, Mary Edna, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: "The purpose of this study, then, is to determine whether or not the monthly selections of The Literary Guild of America are of good enough quality to enable the library staff to accept them as really good choices of current fiction. This paper includes a brief sketch of the history of the Literary Guild which outlines the club's background and selection and distribution policies. Next it presents an examination of each of the twelve titles distributed to Guild members in 1948, followed by a...
Show more"The purpose of this study, then, is to determine whether or not the monthly selections of The Literary Guild of America are of good enough quality to enable the library staff to accept them as really good choices of current fiction. This paper includes a brief sketch of the history of the Literary Guild which outlines the club's background and selection and distribution policies. Next it presents an examination of each of the twelve titles distributed to Guild members in 1948, followed by a summary of the findings. An annotated bibliography of the titles selected by the Guild in 1947, arranged in order of issuance to members, is appended to this paper"--Introduction.
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Date Issued: 1953
Identifier: FSU_historic_akd9203
Format: Thesis

Title: An annotated bibliography of American biography for correlation with the social studies program for junior high school.
Creator: Moore, Valona, Gregory, Agnes, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: "The social studies are a very important aspect of the present day curriculum. But the past in order to have meaning for this generation must be re-interpreted by them in terms of their environmental, moral, social, economic, and political needs. Thus historical knowledge gives perspective and serves as a point of departure for building today and tomorrow's practices in government, religion, and social living. Reading about the lives of leaders in various realms of American life can make...
Show more"The social studies are a very important aspect of the present day curriculum. But the past in order to have meaning for this generation must be re-interpreted by them in terms of their environmental, moral, social, economic, and political needs. Thus historical knowledge gives perspective and serves as a point of departure for building today and tomorrow's practices in government, religion, and social living. Reading about the lives of leaders in various realms of American life can make history more enjoyable as well as more realistic. As a librarian the writer would like to see biography used more widely as a correlative material to stimulate greater interest in the social studies. Consequently the purpose of this paper is: (1) to suggest the value of biography in developing desirable social concepts and democratic principles which will benefit the student in his daily living as well as make it possible for him to become a better citizen of tomorrow's world; and (2) to suggest biographies suitable for correlation with junior high school social studies"--Introduction.
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Date Issued: 1951
Identifier: FSU_historic_akd9293
Format: Thesis

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