Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2024, History (Arts and Sciences)

This thesis essays to study and interpret a small body of poems from Southern Gaul which respond to the breach of the Rhine frontier and subsequent crises from 406-418 AD. After demonstrating contemporary literary conventions in both secular and Christian discourses, the paper will survey how the poems in question came to terms with recent catastrophe and thereby rearticulated differing ideas of empire and meta-history which drew upon the Latin Epic tradition but deployed them in a context that was increasingly Christian and destabilized. While this will shed limited light on the political events, it will primarily serve to situate the beginnings of the Fall of the Western Empire in their intellectual context and indicate how they served as agents of the transformation of the Classical World and the draining of the secular.

Committee: Jaclyn Maxwell (Committee Chair); Kevin Uhalde (Committee Member); Neil Bernstein (Committee Member) Subjects: Classical Studies; Education History; European History; History; Medieval History; Medieval Literature; Middle Ages; Religion; Religious History

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2015, English

This dissertation argues that the serial publication of fictional narrative in the nineteenth century provoked Victorian audiences to consume more media associated with the story they craved, thus materially proliferating the already expansive commercial storyworld. I assert that serial publication of fiction fundamentally affects reception, and that the space between installments opens up the possibility for Victorian readers' continued involvement with narrative through what I call adaptive reading practices. For this dissertation, adaptive reading practices include reading penny press continuations of Charles Dickens's The Pickwick Papers (1836-37), attending dramatic adaptations staged during serialization of James Malcolm Rymer's Sweeney Todd (1846-47), perusing illustrations of Mary Elizabeth Braddon's Eleanor's Victory (1863), and purchasing merchandise inspired by the media events of George Du Maurier's Trilby (1894). All of the novels included in this project were originally published in serial, and the adaptations in the same and different media that followed their publication constitute a proliferating form of seriality in which the audience continues their involvement with the storyworld, particularly with fictional characters. I contend that the proliferation of the story over time implies that fictional worlds are proceeding in parallel to the recipient's own real life, and that serial iteration affords unique opportunities for cultivating and developing fictional character over time. Whereas popular characters in vast serials are often seen as “flat” or stock characters, this dissertation argues that the persistence of characters across textual boundaries presents opportunities for the audience to fill in complex psychological inner lives in the gaps between the character's serial appearances. The pay-off of this dissertation lies not only in the revelation of the ways that readers can turn into creators (as the penny press adaptors of middle class f (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Sean O'Sullivan (Advisor); Robyn Warhol (Committee Member); Amanpal Garcha (Committee Member); Jill Galvan (Committee Member) Subjects: American Literature; British and Irish Literature; Literacy; Literature; Mass Media

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2008, Communication

Across many approaches to media studies, little has been done to understand how the various aspects of men and women's involvement with media products coalesce. A narrow focus on gender differences perpetuates a conceptualization of people as always man or woman, determined by biological, religious, psychoanalytical, societal, and/or cultural definitions. The deficit indicates a need for comprehensive studies to explore the whats, hows and whys of men's and women's engaging with media products that were either meant for them or for the other gender. The problem of focusing on gender differences is related to the problem of how people's engaging with the media has been studied. The process of engaging with a media product is complex, with a variety of material, aka structural, and interpretive, aka agentic, factors interacting that must be studied to understand the process. Often times a single study will focus on one particular aspect of this process, assuming the nature of the others, and in these assumptions gender stereotypes can take root. The purpose of this study was to understand individuals' experiences with gendered media that was meant for theirs and the other gender. Using the dialogic interpretive/performative model of the gendering process as the framework for constructing this research, this study sought to uncover gender commonalities and differences in the gendered media engaging processes of selectings, interpretings, utilizings, and the conditions in which either manifests. A series of interviews, using Dervin's Sense-Making Methodology, were conducted with men and women to explore their experiences with these gendered media. By combining Sense-Making Methodology's Lifeline and Microelement interviewing protocols, men and women recalled four types of experiences with gendered media: media meant for men versus media meant for women; and media used only once versus media used repeatedly. Analysis focused on their selectings, inte (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Brenda Dervin (Advisor); Jared Gardner (Committee Member); Daniel McDonald (Committee Member); Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; Mass Media

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2004, East Asian Languages and Literatures

This study examines adaptations of Chinese culture in medieval Japanese No theatre through analyzing a group of No plays featuring Chinese motifs, also referred to as “Chinese plays,” written between the late fourteenth and the early sixteenth centuries. It investigates how changing relations with China, reception history of Chinese motifs, as well as evolving aesthetic and cultural norms on the part of playwrights and audiences of No, shaped the making of these plays. I propose what I refer to as a Filter Model, based on my reading of treatises of No and supported by contemporary theory of intercultural theatre, to analyze the (re)interpretations and (re)construction of various images of China within specific historical and cultural contexts. I argue that this group of plays was not about representing China, but rather about manipulating the perceived images of China and catering to the cultural practices, aesthetic preferences, and sociopolitical attitudes of various audience groups in medieval Japan. It is through the different images of China constructed in these plays that the playwrights amplify certain aspects of No, such as auspiciousness, cultural identity, depictions of human emotion, and dance performances. Chapter One lays out the theoretical and historical framework for the study. I critically review current scholarship on issues of Other and Self, and on conceptions of Intercultural Theatre. I then trace the dynamics of cultural exchanges between China and Japan that had influenced the reception of Chinese motifs in No theatre. Chapter Two centers on the underlying variables in the composition of “Chinese plays.” I first assess the influential role of audience and patron of No. I then introduce my Filter Model, which illustrates the complex interplay of sociopolitical milieux, basic sources, perspectives and dramaturgies of the playwrights, in the making of “Chinese plays.” Chapters Three to Seven examine ten “Chinese plays” that, taken together, displ (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Shelley Quinn (Advisor) Subjects: Literature, Asian

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2006, Theatre and Film

With the end of the Hollywood studio era, big budget blockbuster musicals had to find ways to compete in the economic and cultural marketplace. Historical events such as the rise of television, the Civil Rights movement, the Vietnam War, and the Watergate scandal influenced the way American audiences saw, and continue to see, the world. Film, theatre, and other artistic disciplines helped audiences understand, cope, and criticize societal changes. As audience perceptions changed, the film musical faced a crisis. In an attempt to maximize profits, Hollywood business practices forced an evolutionary branch in the development of the musical. One fork took the genre towards the embodiment of capitalistic and cultural excess as pointed to by Altman, Dyer, and others. These film musicals attempt to present Utopia. Film musicals such as Grease (1978), Beauty and the Beast (1991), and Evita (1996) are large spectacles that utilize the high concept business model, as outlined by Justin Wyatt, to please audience expectations by managing conflict at the expense of presenting the story world as a utopia. The other branch of film musical exemplified in the films of Cabaret (1972) and All That Jazz (1979) criticize the price paid by an individual in pursuit of ideals that lie beyond dominant social values. The dystopic film musical connects with audiences and critics by drawing on the cynicism and skepticism of contemporary historic and cultural events to forward a clearly dystopic view of society. This study utilizes an interdisciplinary approach to analyze the connection between selected film musicals and the American culture for which they were produced. The study shows that from 1970-2002 film musicals promoted and marketed visions of Utopia that were reflective of specific historical moments rather than ahistorical utopia ideals. While a film like Grease shows that Utopia is the ideal high school experience, later films like Moulin Rouge! (2001) and Chicago (2002) depict i (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Cynthia Baron (Advisor) Subjects:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2024, Mass Communication (Communication)

This dissertation engages in an exploration of the intricate discourse surrounding the casting decisions in Black history films. The study addresses the perspectives of two pivotal demographic groups, namely African Americans and African immigrants, unraveling the multifaceted perspectives and overarching implications associated with casting choices in the realm of Black cinema. The theoretical framework for this research is rooted in the interdisciplinary and multifaceted domain of cultural studies, which facilitates a comprehensive exploration of the intricate intersections among film casting, race, identity, representation, and reception scholarship. Employing a mixed-method research design, the study integrates paratextual analysis, qualitative interviews, and focus group discussions, collectively capturing a diverse range of perspectives held by both African Americans and African immigrants. This methodological approach effectively illuminates how participants seamlessly integrate their unique lived experiences and cultural backgrounds when assessing casting decisions for historical roles, contributing to a nuanced and holistic understanding of their viewpoints. The analysis of the collected data has unveiled compelling thematic insights that provide a comprehensive understanding of the intricate dynamics within the context of casting iv choices in Black history films. These themes, including Diverse Conceptions of Blackness, Historical Perspectives of Actors on Blackness and Black Issues in the American Context, Challenges and Perceived Displacement, Unpacking Distorted Depictions of African American History, Gaps in Diversity within Black Narratives and Investment in Emerging African American Talent, Commercial Dimensions of Casting, and African-history Movies Produced in the United States as American Productions, collectively illuminate the interplay of representation, identity, and economic considerations within the film industry. A (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Steve Howard (Committee Chair); Eve Ng (Committee Member); Webster Smith (Other); Jatin Srivastava (Committee Member); Taylor Kirsten (Committee Member) Subjects: African American Studies; Black Studies; Ethnic Studies; Film Studies; Mass Media

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2019, Dance Studies

Since its premiere, YouTube has rapidly emerged as the most important venue shaping popular dance practitioners and consumers, introducing paradigm shifts in the ways dances are learned, practiced, and shared. YouTube is a technological platform, an economic system, and a means of social affiliation and expression. In this dissertation, I contribute to ongoing debates on the social, political, and economic effects of technological change by focusing on the bodily and emotional labor performed and archived on the site in videos, comments sections, and advertisements. In particular I look at comments and fan video as social paratexts which shape dance reception and production through policing genre, citationality, and legitimacy; position studio dance class videos as an Internet screendance genre which entextualizes the pedagogical context through creative documentation; and analyze the use of dance in online advertisements to promote identity-based consumption. Taken together, these inquiries show that YouTube perpetuates and reshapes established modes and genres of production, distribution, and consumption. These phenomena require an analysis that accounts for their multivalence and the ways the texts circulating on YouTube subvert existing categories, binaries, and hierarchies. A cyclical exchange—between perpetuation and innovation, subculture and pop culture, amateur and professional, the subversive and the neoliberal—is what defines YouTube and the investigation I undertake in this dissertation.

Committee: Harmony Bench PhD (Advisor); Katherine Borland PhD (Committee Member); Karen Eliot PhD (Committee Member); Ryan Skinner PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Art Criticism; Communication; Dance; Ethnic Studies; Intellectual Property; Mass Media; Performing Arts; Technology; Web Studies

Master of Music (MM), Bowling Green State University, 2016, Music History

Moravian-born impresario Max Maretzek was one of the leading opera managers in nineteenth-century America, specializing in Italian opera. During his career, Maretzek highlighted three cities as being "musical centers" in America: New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. While he noted that these cities were the most important for opera, he did not treat each one the same. Indeed, each of these cities had a heritage that affected their responses to opera. For example, the Puritanical heritage of Boston caused Maretzek to cancel his production of Verdi's Rigoletto in 1861, because citizens were revolted by the opera's immoral plot. In this project, I will explore, discuss, and analyze reception of Maretzek's Italian operas, and how this reception affected how he produced opera. Using Jauss's ideas on reception theory, specifically the "horizon of expectations," I will explore the historical and cultural contexts of Maretzek's three musical centers, coupled with research on opera in nineteenth-century America by Katherine Preston, John Dizikes, and June Ottenberg. Since Maretzek was an early proponent of Verdi's operas, I will discuss the reception of Maretzek's productions of Italian opera, with emphasis on Verdi and the various controversies his operas engendered. I will show that Maretzek responded to criticism differently in each of the three cities: his productions were more adventurous in his home base of New York, and more conservative in Boston and Philadelphia. Finally, I will situate Maretzek and his work in the overarching cultural context of Italian opera in nineteenth-century America, drawing on the work of Lawrence Levine and Kristen Turner. While Italian opera is commonly discussed as representing the interests of the wealthy upper class in America during this time, I will argue that discussions of Maretzek in this context require a more nuanced discussion. While there were efforts by wealthy citizens to claim Italian opera as their own, Maretzek marketed (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Eftychia Papanikolaou Ph.D. (Advisor); Ryan Ebright Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Music

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2008, Arts and Sciences : Classics

With over 3,400 lines of poetry and no single monograph dedicated to her literary productions, Aelia Eudocia is an understudied poet. This project, the first of its kind, explores Eudocia's three poems as a unified whole and demonstrates how they exemplify the literary and cultural concerns of the fifth century. Since her poems are each apparently unique, I approach them first in isolation and tease out their social background, literary dependencies, and possible interpretive strategies for them before painting a broader picture of Eudocia's literary contribution. The first of her surviving poems is a seventeen line epigraphic poem from the bath complex at Hammat Gader, which acclaims the bath's furnace for its service to the structure's clients but, at the same time, illustrates the religious competition that surrounded late antique healing cults, of which therapeutic springs were part. Next is the Homeric cento, which borrows and reorders lines from the Iliad and Odyssey to retell parts of the biblical narrative. Eudocia's attempt at this bizarre genre underscores the interplay between the Homeric poems, and the classical culture they represent, and the biblical story, with its theology and ethics. Last is the Martyrdom of Saint Cyprian, the first verse hagiography of its kind, which, because of the disparate sources available to Eudocia, is divided into two sections. The first part relates the conversion of Cyprian, an Antiochene magician, a story, I suggest, that depends on the Christian apocrypha, particularly for the development of its heroine, Justa. The second part recounts, in a speech by Cyprian himself, how he learned magic and why he converted. This section provides a glimpse into the ways late antique Christians understood paganism and the rhetoric they used to limit its hold in the later Roman empire. The big picture of Eudocia's poetry is that of a corpus, which uses Homeric language to convey fifth century, Christian concerns, and of a poet who can a (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Peter van Minnen PhD (Committee Chair); William Johnson PhD (Committee Member); Susan Prince PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Classical Studies

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2009, American Culture Studies/Communication

The objective of the study is to intervene in the ongoing discourse that interrogates the relationship between fictional ultraviolent film representations and real life behavior in audiences that these types of films are marketed to. Using a case study approach to apparatus and audience reception theories, the dissertation investigates the significant role Scarface, the 1983 gangster film directed by Brian De Palma, has played in influencing the cultural and social development of young African-American males who live in American inner cities. The study focuses on how the inner city portion of the Scarface audience came to self-identify themselves as “gangstas” (a Hip-hop term for gangster) and why one particular character in the film, a murderous drug dealer, has served as the gangsta role model for heroic behavior for over twenty-five years.The study found that performing the gangsta male identity emotionally satisfies these economic and socially disconnected young men and that this group viewed the violent and illegal behavior in Scarface as offering practical solutions to their ongoing struggle to survive the hopelessness and terror rooted in their environment. The research demonstrated that film narratives can be both a window into, and a mirror of, the often paradoxically complex relationships between marginalized target audiences and savvy multi-national media corporations that successfully market negative representations to these audiences, profit from the transactions and, during the process, manipulate both mainstream and oppositional perceptions of class, race, and power.

Committee: Donald McQuarie PhD (Committee Chair); Priscilla Coleman PhD (Committee Member); Halifu Osumare PhD (Committee Member); Awad Ibrahim PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: African Americans; American Studies; Black History; Fine Arts; Mass Media; Motion Pictures; Social Psychology; Social Structure; Sociology