ETDs

This collection includes most of the ASU Theses and Dissertations from 2011 to present. ASU Theses and Dissertations are available in downloadable PDF format; however, a small percentage of items are under embargo. Information about the dissertations/theses includes degree information, committee members, an abstract, supporting data or media.

In addition to the electronic theses found in the ASU Digital Repository, ASU Theses and Dissertations can be found in the ASU Library Catalog.

Dissertations and Theses granted by Arizona State University are archived and made available through a joint effort of the ASU Graduate College and the ASU Libraries. For more information or questions about this collection contact or visit the Digital Repository ETD Library Guide or contact the ASU Graduate College at gradformat@asu.edu.

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The resonance of place: music and race in Salvador da Bahia

Description
Geography, and the social sciences more broadly, have long operated within what is arguably a paradigm of the visual. Expanding the reach of geographical consideration into the realm of the aural, though in no way leaving behind the visual, opens the discipline to new areas of human and cultural geography…

Geography, and the social sciences more broadly, have long operated within what is arguably a paradigm of the visual. Expanding the reach of geographical consideration into the realm of the aural, though in no way leaving behind the visual, opens the discipline to new areas of human and cultural geography invisible in ocular-centric approaches. At its broadest level, my argument in this dissertation is that music can no longer be simply an object of geographical research. Re-conceptualized and re-theorized in a geographical context to take into account its very real, active, and more-than-representational presence in social life, music provides actual routes to geographic knowledge of the world. I start by constructing a theoretical framework and methodological approach for studying music beyond representation. Based on these theoretical and methodological arguments, I present four narratives that unfold at the intersections of race and music in the northeast Brazilian city of Salvador. From the favelas of Rio de Janeiro to the troubled neighborhood of the Pelourinho, from the manic tempos of samba to the laid back grooves of samba-reggae, and in the year-round competition between the oppressive forces of ordinary time and the fleeting possibility of carnival, music emerges as a creative societal force with affects and effects far beyond the realm of representation. Together, these narratives exemplify the importance of expanding geographical considerations beyond a strictly visual framework. These narratives contribute to the musicalization of the discipline of geography.
ContributorsFinn, John C (Author) / McHugh, Kevin (Thesis advisor) / Lukinbeal, Christopher (Committee member) / Bolin, Bob (Committee member) / Price, Patricia (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
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Uneasy provenances: exhibiting, collecting, and dealing in the Nazi era

Description
During the Nazi era, which is historically regarded as lasting from 1933-1945, the National Socialists both looted and made “legal” confiscations of art and artifacts they deemed “degenerate” from museums throughout occupied Europe. The art they seized was sold abroad in exchange for foreign currency that not only funded their…

During the Nazi era, which is historically regarded as lasting from 1933-1945, the National Socialists both looted and made “legal” confiscations of art and artifacts they deemed “degenerate” from museums throughout occupied Europe. The art they seized was sold abroad in exchange for foreign currency that not only funded their war efforts, but also allowed for purchases of art for Hitler’s un-realized Führermuseum in Linz, Austria. The rapid transfer of objects flooded the art market, making this period one of the most prosperous times for collectors and dealers. However, due to the overall hasty nature of the displacements, the ownership history, or provenance, of the works became extremely convoluted. Institutions in the United States, as well as individual collectors, began to buy pieces, unaware of their provenance. Without this knowledge as a good-faith purchaser, many institutions never delved deeper into the background of the objects and the works remained in their collections until the present day. In this thesis, I argue that provenance research can shape a museum’s history through changing the relationship it has with its permanent collection. Insight into the ownership history of the collection must be made a priority in order for museums to remain transparent with their visitors, thus allowing for perceived notions of exclusivity, or distrust, to be eliminated. I researched two institutions, the Kunstmuseum Bern and the Krannert Art Museum, which recently examined their own holdings for incomplete attributions, with one establishment conducting a study after it became enmeshed in public scrutiny generated by a controversial bequest. Lastly, I employ both art historical scholarship and legal resources to investigate how provenance can be more widely used as a valuable asset in an increasingly globalized society.
ContributorsSmiley, Meghan (Author) / Fahlman, Betsy (Thesis advisor) / Codell, Julie (Committee member) / Afanador-Pujol, Angélica (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019