Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Dystopian society'

Applying utopian theory to the Bible reveals a number of issues surrounding the biblical text within academic disciplines such as biblical studies, which study the Bible as an ancient cultural artefact, and among religious readers of the Bible. The biblical passage Numbers 13 was chosen as a case study of a utopian reading of the image of the Promised Land to demonstrate the Bible’s multifaceted potential by externalising the presupposition brought to the text. The underlying method is derived from an ideal type procedure, appropriated from Weber. Instead of comparing phenomena to each other, one compares a phenomenon to a constructed ideal type. This method enables one to compare phenomena independently of exclusive definitions and direct linear influences. It has been suggested by biblical scholars that utopian readings of the Bible can yield insights into socio-political circumstances in the society which produced biblical texts. Using observations by Holquist about utopias’ relationships to reality it is asked if applying the concept of utopia to a biblical passage allows drawing conclusions about the originating society of the Hebrew Bible. The answer is negative. Theory about literary utopias is applied to the case study passage. Numbers 13 is similar to literary utopias in juxtaposing a significantly improved society with a home society, the motif of travellers in an unfamiliar environment, and the feature of a map which is graphically not representable. Noth’s reading of the biblical passage’s toponyms reveals that its map is a utopian map. Numbers 13 is best understood as a literary utopia describing an unrealistic environment and using common utopian techniques and motifs. Despite describing an unrealistic environment, the passage was understood as directly relevant to reality by readers throughout time, for example by Bradford. Following two Puritan readings, it is observed that biblical utopian texts have the potential of being applied in reality by those who see them as a call to action. If a literary utopia is attempted to be brought into reality, it becomes apparent that it marginalises those who are not utopian protagonists; in the case study passage, the non-Israelite tribes, in Bradford’s reading, the Native Nations in New England. The interplay of utopia and dystopia is explored and it is concluded that a definitive trait of literary utopias is their potential to turn into an experienced dystopia if enforced literally. This argument is supported by demonstrating that the utopian traits of the case study passage contain dystopian downsides if read from a different perspective. A contemporary utopian reading of the case study passage is proposed. Today utopian speculation most often appears in works of science fiction (SF). Motifs appearing in the case study passage are read as tropes familiar to a contemporary Bible reader from SF. Following D. Suvin’s SF theory, it is concluded that the Bible in the contemporary world can be understood as a piece of SF. It contains the juxtaposition of an estranged world with a reader’s experienced world as well as a potential utopian and dystopian message.

La intel·ligència artificial ha estat un concepte que captiva la humanitat des de fa mil·lennis. Des de l'antiguitat, els humans estan obsessionats amb la idea de crear un ésser humà artificial perfecte amb diferents objectius, com ara la companyia o l'ajuda domèstica, i han escrit sobre ells en textos antics de diverses cultures. Això va evolucionar cap a la literatura de protofantasia o protociència-ficció a l’alta edat mitjana. Tanmateix, no va ser fins al segle XIX que la influent obra de Mary Shelley, Frankenstein (1818), va reunir diferents aspectes de la creació artificial de vida humana artificial en el debat d’una comprensió psicològica social més àmplia. Amb l'arribada dels mitjans audiovisuals al segle XX, aquestes representacions dels humanoides creats artificialment o d'altres creacions amb cert grau de consciència han poblat tant la gran pantalla com la televisió. Aquesta tesi se centra en les connexions socials d'aquestes representacions de la Intel·ligència Artificial, a partir de la sèrie de televisió Black Mirror (Charlie Brooker, 2011), així com en les pel·lícules Ex Machina (Alex Garland, 2014) i Her (Spike Jonze, 2014), per tal d’analitzar la relació entre la Intel·ligència Artificial i els humans des de perspectives i paradigmes diversos. L’anàlisi audiovisual de les obres seleccionades és seguida d’una exploració de com s’estan produint aquests recents avenços tecnològics en la nostra societat actual, per relacionar-los amb les advertències que proposen les obres seleccionades i que ofereixen una lectura per al futur que requereix la implementació de normatives estrictes sobre la Intel·ligència Artificial per tal d’alleujar les angoixes humanes respecte a la tecnologia. Paraules clau: Intel·ligència artificial, tecnologia, ciència ficció, distopia, estudis cinematogràfics, societat.
La inteligencia artificial es un concepto que fascina a la humanidad durante milenios. Desde la antigüedad, los humanos han estado obsesionados con la idea de crear un humano artificial perfecto para diferentes fines, como la compañía o la ayuda doméstica, y han escrito sobre ello en textos fundacionales de diversas culturas. Esto se convirtió progresivamente en literatura de protofantasía o proto-ciencia ficción en la Alta Edad Media. Sin embargo, no fue hasta el siglo XIX cuando la influyente obra Frankenstein (1818) de Mary Shelley reunió diferentes aspectos de la creación de un ser humano artificial, discutidos dentro de una comprensión psicológica y social más amplia. Con la llegada de los medios audiovisuales en el siglo XX, estas representaciones de humanoides creados artificialmente o de otras creaciones con cierto grado de conciencia han poblado tanto la gran pantalla como la televisión. Esta tesis se centra en las conexiones sociales de dichas representaciones de la Inteligencia Artificial, centrándose en la serie de televisión Black Mirror (Charlie Brooker, 2011), así como en las películas Ex Machina (Alex Garland, 2014) y Her (Spike Jonze, 2014), analizando las relaciones entre la Inteligencia Artificial y los humanos desde una variedad de perspectivas y paradigmas diferentes. El análisis audiovisual de las obras seleccionadas va seguido de una exploración sobre cómo estos avances tecnológicos recientes se están produciendo en nuestra sociedad actual, vinculándolos con las advertencias que formulan las obras seleccionadas y ofreciendo una lectura de futuro que requiere la implementación de una estricta normativa en torno a la Inteligencia Artificial para aliviar las ansiedades humanas sobre la tecnología. Palabras clave: inteligencia artificial, tecnología, sociedad, ciencia ficción, distopía, estudios cinematográficos.
Artificial Intelligence has been a concept that has infatuated humankind for millennia. Since antiquity, humans have been obsessed with the idea of creating a perfect artificial human for different aims such as companionship or domestic help, and ancient cultures have devoted foundational texts to the artificial human. This literary occupation gradually evolved into proto-fantasy or proto-Science Fiction literature in the early middle ages. However, it wasn’t until the 19th century that Mary Shelley’s influential work Frankenstein (1818) brought together different aspects of creating an artificial human discussed within a broader social and psychological understanding. With the advent of audiovisual media in the 20th century, such representations of artificially created humanoids or other creations with some degree of consciousness have populated both the silver screen and television. This thesis focuses on the societal connections between such representations of Artificial Intelligence, focusing on the TV show Black Mirror (Charlie Brooker, 2011) as well as the films Ex Machina (Alex Garland, 2014) and Her (Spike Jonze, 2014) by analyzing the Artificial Intelligence - human relationships from a variety of different perspectives and paradigms. The audiovisual analyses of the selected works are then followed by an examination of how such recent technological developments are taking place in our current society. These texts under examination exhort us to beware the potential dangers of AI technology, which require implementation of strict regulations around the Artificial Intelligence framework in order to alleviate human anxieties about technology. Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, technology, technology and society, Science Fiction, dystopia, film studies, society.

TITLE:  ”Fuck society” SUB-HEADING: Mr. Robot som samtida dystopi. AUTHOR: Petra Stråle. EXAMINER: Johan Nilsson. LEVEL: BA Thesis.SUBJECT: Media and communication science. INSTITUTE: Department of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences University of Örebro.PURPOSE: The thesis purpose is to examine how the television series Mr. Robot can be viewed as an dystopian work of fiction that depicts our present society. METHOD: Content analysis. RESULT: The results indicates that the television series Mr. Robot can not be categorized as a classical dystopia, but does, however, contain dystopian elements and is connected to different forms of dystopia, like the critical dystopia and the proto-dystopia.

Today it is common to state that we are living in an information overloaded society. But there are many different definitions of what can be said to constitute Information Overload and there is a lack of substantial research on the subject. Conclusions in the available literature on Information Overload are often drawn on anecdotal evidence and carries a dramatized picture of the causes and effects of the phenomenon. With the tools of discursive analysis this two years master’s thesis explores how the phenomenon Information Overload is portrayed in six popular science books that deals with the subject: Alvin Toffler (1970) Future Shock, Orrin Klapp (1986) Overload and Boredom, Richard Wurman (1989) Information Anixety, Andrew Keen (2007) The cult of the amateur, Maggie Jackson (2008), Distracted and Nicholas Carr (2010) The Shallows. The result of the analysis shows that there is a common discourse of how the subject of Information Overload is represented, which stretches in and between the books intertextually. In this study that discourse is called the dystopian discourse of Information Overload. It is structured by a unified use of narratives, concepts, themes, metaphors and statements and by its separation from the opposite utopian discourse of Information Overload. In the final discussion the results of the analysis are compared to postmodern theory, a problematisation of the concept of distraction and to the Swedish government’s 2012 investigation of reading habits of young people in the country. The conclusion of the study is that the two binary discourses discovered in the analysis – the dystopian and the utopian – should be avoided in the debate and research on Information Overload. Instead the discussion should be influenced by pluralism, complexity and awareness.

The background to this essay is that I wanted to analyze the factions in Veronica Roth´s novel Divergent and class from a Marxist perspective. I used a Marxist perspective on social class to find details that matched or looked similar to the novel and did an analysis and comparison between them. I found that a lot of details in how the different factions are described and represented can be compared with classism due to significant similarities, such as social behavior and prioritization among different groups.
Bakgrunden till denna uppsats är att jag ville analysera falangerna i Veronica Roths bok Divergent samt klass från ett marxistiskt perspektiv. Jag använde ett marxistiskt persspektiv på social klass för att finna detaljer som matchade eller liknade novellen och gjorde en analys och jämförelse mellan dem. Jag fann att en hel del detaljer gällande hur de olika falangerna är beskrivna och representerade kan jämföras med klassism tack vare signifikanta liknelser, såsom socialt beteende och prioriteringar inom olika grupper.

We live in an age of rapid change. The advance of science and technology, throughout history, has culminated in periods of transition when social values have had to adapt to a changed environment. Such times have proved fertile ground for the expansion of the imagination. Utopian literature offers a vast archive of information concerning the relationship between scientific and technological progress and social change. Alterations in the most basic machinery of society inspired utopian authors to write of distant and future worlds which had achieved a state of harmony and plenty. The dilemmas which writers faced were particular to their era, but there also emerged certain universal themes and questions: What is the best organisation of society? What tools would be adequate to the task? What does it mean to be human? The dividing line on these issues revolves around two opposed beliefs. Some perceived the power inherent in technology to effect the greatest improvement in the human condition. Others were convinced that the organisation of the social order must come first so as to create an environment sympathetic to perceived human needs. There are, necessarily, contradictions in such a division. They can be seen plainly in More's Utopia itself. More wanted to see new science and technique developed. But he also condemned the social consequences which inevitably flowed from the process of discovery. These consequences led More to create a utopia based on social reorganisation. In the main, the utopias of Francis Bacon, Edward Bellamy and the later H. G. Wells accepted science, while the work of William Morris, Aldous Huxley and Kurt Vonnegut rejected science in preference for a different social order. More's Utopia and Bacon's New Atlantis were written at a time when feudal, agricultural society was being transformed by new discoveries and techniques. In a later age, Bellamy's Looking Backward and Morris's News From Nowhere offer contrary responses to society at the height of the Industrial evolution. These four authors serve as a prelude to the main area of the thesis which centres on the twentieth century. Wells, though his first novel appeared in 1895, produced the vast bulk of his work in the current century. Huxley acts as an appropriate balance to Wells and also exemplifies the shift from utopia to dystopia. The last section of the thesis deals with the work of Kurt Vonnegut and includes an interview with that author. The twentieth century has seen the proliferation of dystopias, portraits of the disastrous consequences of the headlong pursuit of science and technology, unallied to human values. Huxley and Vonnegut crystallised the fears of a modern generation: that we create a soulless, mechanised, urban nightmare. The contemporary fascination with science in literature is merely an extension of a process with a long tradition and underlying theme. The advance of science and technology created the physical and intellectual environment for utopian authors which determined the form and content of their visions.

Thesis (PhD)--Macquarie University, Division of Humanities, Department of English, 2003.
Bibliography: p. 250-270.
Introduction -- Female subjectivity, abjection, and agency in Scenes of clerical life -- A questionable Utopia: Adam Bede -- Dystopia and the frustration of agency in the double Bildungsroman of The mill on the floss -- Abjection and exile in Silas Marner -- Justice and feminist Utopia in Romola -- Radicalism as Utopianism in Felix Holt, the radical -- The pursuit of what is good: Utopian impulses in Middlemarch -- Nationalism and multiculturalism: shaping the future as transformative Utopia in Daniel Deronda.
Within a framework based on Mikhail Bakhtin's dialogism and Julia Kristeva's theory of abjection, this thesis investigates how Utopian impulses are manifested in George Eliot's novels. Eliot's utopianism is presented first by a critique of dystopian elements in society and later by placing such elements in a dialogic relationship with utopian ideas articulated by leading characters. Each novel includes characters who are abjected because they have different ideas from the social norms, and such characters are silenced and expelled because society evaluates these differences in terms of its gender, class and racial prejudices. Dystopia is thus constituted as a resolution of the conflict between individual and society by the imposition of monologic values. Dialogic possibilities are explored by patterned character configurations and by the cultivation of ironical narrators' voices which enfold character focalization within strategic deployment of free indirect discourse. -- Eliot's early works, from Scenes of Clerical Life to Silas Marner, focus their dystopian elements as a critique of a monologic British society intolerant of multiple consciousnesses, and which consigns "other" voices to abjection and thereby precludes social progress by rejecting these "other" voices. In her later novels, from Romola to Daniel Deronda, Eliot presents concrete model utopian societies that foreshadow progressive changes to the depicted, existing society. Such an imagined society incorporates different consciousnesses and hence admits abject characters, who otherwise would have been regarded as merely transgressive, and thus silenced or eliminated. Abjected characters in Eliot's fiction tend also to be utopists, and hence have potential for positively transforming the world. Where they are depicted as gaining agency, they also in actuality or by implication bring about change in society, the nation and the wider world. -- An underlying assumption is that history can be changed for the better, so that utopian ideals can be actualized by means of human agency rather than by attributing teleological processes to supernatural forces. When a protagonist's utopian impulses fail, it is both because of dystopian elements of society and because of individual human weaknesses. In arguably her most utopian works, Romola and Daniel Deronda, Eliot creates ideal protagonists, one of whom remains in the domestic sphere because of gender, and another who is (albeit voluntarily) removed from British society because of his race/class. However, Romola can be seen as envisaging a basis for female advancement to public life, while Daniel Deronda suggests a new world order through a nationalism grounded in multiculturalism and a global utopianism.
Mode of access: World Wide Web.
v, 270 p

The meaning of this essay is to look at how the narrative strategies, description of character and society differ between the two novels "This Perfect Day" and "Neuromancer". By looking at the different narrative techniques used by the authors and the results we can see why some of these strategies work very well in one novel but would not suit the other because of the contrasts in style it would produce.

Cette recherche sur deux romans d'Emile Zola et Michel Houellebecq est conduite dans une perspective comparatiste, en raison des préoccupations communes qui animent les deux écrivains. Les deux romans traitent en des termes diamétralement opposés de l'utopie et de la dystopie, mais l’intérêt pour la science constitue un point de convergence. Au XIXe siècle la science et la technologie ont fait d'énormes progrès. La Troisième République a réaffirmé les valeurs de la liberté, de l’égalité et de la fraternité qui a inspiré les idéaux de la Révolution française ; l’État et la religion ont été séparés en 1905. Mais peu après, à la suite des deux guerres mondiales, le rêve d'établir un monde utopique s’est effondré. Par la suite,le concept utopique a été déformé, et on l’a défini en termes libéraux comme un résultat de la croissance économique. Cent ans après,Houellebecq dénonce l'existence de ce monde utopique rêvé. Pour Houellebecq, le libéralisme est devenu synonyme de violence, d'inégalité et de débauche. Emile Zola et Michel Houellebecq examinent différemment le rôle de la science dans le développement social. Zola, déçu par le rôle de la religion, croit en la réalisation d'un monde meilleur fondé sur le progrès scientifique et technologique. En revanche, Houellebecq s’oppose à l'idée de progrès par la science dans laquelle il voit une forme de destruction de l'humanité. En travaillant sur Travail de Zola et La possibilité d'une île de Houellebecq, nous avons choisi une approche originale qui consiste à analyser la notion du roman utopique/dystopique ainsi que la place de l'utopie et dystopie dans la fiction chez les deux auteurs
This doctoral research on the works of Emile Zola and Michel Houellebecq is constituted in a comparative perspective because they share common concerns. While both novels deal with diagonally opposite terms of utopia and dystopia, science remains the common link. In the nineteenth century science and technology made huge progress. The rise of the Third Republic reaffirmed the values of liberty, equality, fraternity that inspired the ideals of the French Revolution; also State and religion were separated in 1905. But soon after, with two World Wars the dream of establishing utopia fell apart. Thereafter, the utopian concept was distorted per convenience and it came to be defined in liberal terms as an outcome of the rise of market economy. Hundred years after, Houellebecq denounces the existence of utopian world. For Houellebecq, liberalism has become a synonym of violence, inequality and debauch. Emile Zola and Michel Houellebecq look differently at the role of science in social development. On one hand, Zola disillusioned by the role of religion, believed in the achievement of a better world based on scientific and technological progress. In contrast, Houellebecq opposes the idea of progress through science and advocates it as a mean of destruction of the humanity. In quest to work on the novels Travail of Zola and The possibility of an island of Houellebecq, we’ve selected an original approach that will analyze the poetics of the notion of utopian/dystopian novel and the question of utopia and dystopia in the selected works of both authors

La tradition utopique a longtemps entretenu le rêve d'une société idéale située dans un ailleurs, un u-­- topos, le "lieu qui n'est pas" dans L'Utopie de Thomas More. La représentation de ces utopies est indissociable d'un facteur déterminant pour la construction d'un monde meilleur : le progrès. Ainsi, cette tradition se caractérise par l'accent prométhéen d'une telle entreprise, c'est des mains de l'homme que sera façonnée cette nouvelle société. Cependant, le point de vue sur la possibilité d'une société idéale va progressivement s'infléchir, notamment au cours du XIXe siècle, pour s'inverser d'une manière radicale au début du XXe siècle. Nommée anti-­utopie ou contre-­utopie, cette désillusion souligne l'impuissance de l'homme et le rôle ambigu du progrès pour inventer la société parfaite. Parfois utilisée comme synonyme d'anti-­utopie, la dystopie caractérise plus précisément les textes qui décrivent une société dirigée par un système d?oppression absolu, fondé sur un État omnipotent, et presque toujours organisé scientifiquement. Ainsi, des dysfonctionnements de la cité du futur dans Le Monde tel qu'il sera d'Émile Souvestre, en 1846, à l'État Unique dans Nous autres de Evguéni Zamiatine, écrit en 1920, la dystopie évolue en prenant la forme du récit de science-­fiction, et en particulier celle de l'anticipation. Nous verrons, notamment, comment l'utopie prend place dans les oeuvres de Jules Verne et H.G. Wells. Zamiatine, très inspiré par Wells, est le premier grand écrivain du XXe siècle à se servir de la dystopie pour décrire les attributs de la société totalitaire. Ainsi, si notre démarche consiste, dans un premier temps, à désigner les auteurs et textes qui ont participé à l'émergence de la dystopie, notre analyse portera essentiellement sur Nous autres et trois autres romans fondateurs de la dystopie au XXe siècle : Le Meilleur des mondes d'Aldous Huxley, publié en 1932, 1984 de George Orwell, publié en 1948 et Fahrenheit 451 de Ray Bradbury, publié en 1953. Nous étudierons le phénomène totalitaire selon les interprétations qu'en font nos auteurs. Il sera donc question de la collectivisation de l'individu, de la propagande ou du rôle de la science dans l'organisation de la société totalitaire. Mais il s'agira aussi de montrer comment nos dystopies illustrent le combat de l'art contre l'entropie totalitaire, et l'engagement de leurs auteurs dans un véritable discours politique. Enfin, il apparaît essentiel de décrire ce qui apparaît peut-­être comme la forme la plus efficace de la représentation de la dystopie : le film de science-­fiction. Nous verrons pourquoi le roman dystopique peine de plus en plus à soutenir la comparaison face à l'immédiateté du langage de l'image animée
The utopian tradition a long time maintained the dream an ideal society located in one elsewhere, a u-­topos, the "place which is not" in the Utopia of Thomas More. The representation of these Utopias is indissociable of a determining factor for the construction of a better world: progress. Thus, this tradition is characterized by the Promethean accent of such a company, they are hands of the man who this new society will be worked. However, the point of view on the possibility of an ideal society gradually will inflect, in particular during the 19th century, to be reversed in a radical way at the beginning of the 20th century. Named anti-­Utopia or against-­Utopia, this disillusion underlines the impotence of the man and the ambiguous role of progress to invent the perfect society. Sometimes used as synonym of anti-­Utopia, the dystopia more precisely characterizes the texts which describe a society directed by an absolute system of oppression, based on an omnipotent State, and almost always scientifically organized. Thus, abnormal operations of the city of the future in The World such as it will be of Emile Souvestre, in 1846, in the State Unique in Us of Evgueni Zamiatine, written in 1920, the dystopia evolves by taking the form of the account of science fiction, and in particular that of anticipation. We will see, in particular, how the Utopia takes seat in works of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. Zamiatine, very inspired by Wells, is the first great writer of the 20th century to be made use of the dystopia to describe the attributes of the totalitarian society. Thus, if our step consists, initially, to appoint the authors and texts which took part in the emergence of the dystopia, our analysis will primarily carry on Us and three other Romance founders of the dystopia at the 20th century: Brave New World of Aldous Huxley, published into 1932, 1984 of George Orwell, published in 1948 and Fahrenheit 451 of Ray Bradbury, published in 1953. We will study the totalitarian phenomenon according to interpretations that make our authors of them. It will be thus a question of the collectivization of the individual, the propaganda or the role of science in the organization of the totalitarian society. But it will also be a question of showing how our dystopies illustrates the combat of art against the totalitarian entropy, and the engagement of their authors in a true political discourse. Lastly, it appears essential to describe what perhaps appears as the most effective form of the representation of the dystopia: the science fiction film. We will see why the novel dystopic sorrow more and more support the comparison face to the immediacy of the language of the moving image

Ce mémoire se propose d’analyser le pessimisme en littérature pour la jeunesse, en s’intéressant particulièrement à sa manifestation dans les dystopies pour adolescents. La littérature pour la jeunesse est issue d'une tradition qui la définit comme optimiste, ce que démontrent les processus de censure auxquels elle est souvent soumise, entre autres par le milieu éditorial. Dans un tel contexte, il paraît difficile d’expliquer la vague de popularité qu’ont connue les romans dystopiques adressés aux adolescents publiés au début du XXIe siècle. Ce genre, montrant une société fictive la plupart du temps futuriste dans laquelle évolue un protagoniste qui y souffre et qui désire se révolter contre elle, est en effet caractérisé par un pessimisme assez prononcé. Le présent mémoire s’interroge sur la façon dont les auteurs de dystopies pour adolescents parviennent à faire s’harmoniser l’optimisme de la littérature pour la jeunesse et le pessimisme du genre dystopique et pose l’hypothèse que ce pessimisme est présenté de manière édulcorée au jeune public visé. Une comparaison entre un corpus d’œuvres pour adolescents et un autre destiné à un public adulte nous a servi à mettre cette hypothèse à l’épreuve en considérant deux aspects principaux, le personnage et la société, ainsi que d’autres facteurs d’atténuation qui se voient au fil de la lecture. Ces divers éléments contribuent selon nous à édulcorer le pessimisme des dystopies pour adolescents en créant un effet de familiarité pour les lecteurs et en allégeant le poids mis sur leurs épaules et sur celles des protagonistes.
This master’s thesis aims to analyse the pessimism in children’s literature, focussing particularly on its manifestation within dystopias for young adults. Children’s literature is traditionally regarded by many as an inherent optimist genre, as shown by the censorship to which it is regularly subjected, principally by the editorial process. In this context, it seems hard to explain the massive popularity wave that the dystopian novels for young adults experienced in the wake of the XXI century. This genre, displaying an usually futuristic fictional society in which evolves a character who suffers and who desires to revolt against it, is indeed characterized by a pronounced pessimism. This master’s thesis questions the way authors of dystopias for young adults harmonise the inherent optimism of children’s literature and the pessimism of the dystopian genre, while posing the hypothesis that the said pessimism is presented to the young target audience in a much attenuated state. A comparison between a corpus of novels intended to teenagers and another one that has an adult target audience was used in order to study our hypothesis within two main aspects, the character and the society, as well as other mitigating factors that can be seen throughout the book. We think these various elements all contribute to reduce the pessimism in dystopias for young adults by creating a familiar feeling for the readers and by lightening the burden that is resting on their shoulders and on those of the protagonists.

In this mini-dissertation the ongoing battle between the self and late-capitalist society is explored as a theoretical response to the notion of the fragmented subject in relation to postmodernism. Frederic Jameson links the schizophrenic subject and postmodern culture explicitly to societal changes in Western economies: this author's tradition outlines a main part of my theoretical stance within this mini-dissertation. Jameson, decisive in his criticism of current popular culture that has formed as a result of postmodernism, conveys a key dystopic viewpoint in his association of schizophrenia with postmodernism and late-capitalism. This sentiment is echoed in this mini-dissertation, as it is my belief that capitalist consumption habits and pastiche are interrelated in current popular visual culture, simulating a schizoid experience which consumers in turn mirror when formulating a sense of self. An essentially fragmented (postmodern) viewpoint with regard to postmodern visual culture is argued, and is aligned with Jameson's perspective on how subjects form identities within late capitalism, with pastiche and consumption labelled as the main causes of the contemporary societal problem of fragmentation. The main contention of the study is thus that contemporary consumption practices, through the stylistic acceptance of pastiche, are the current causes of fragmentation within the self. This naturalisation of postmodern montage and pastiche, in my opinion, effectively disorientates consumers, as similar techniques that are adopted in consumer culture are applied to identity formation, thus contributing to a sense of egolessness, a key characteristic of schizophrenia. Focus is placed on visual examples that highlight postmodern techniques of nostalgic image recycling, aligned to similar postmodern identity models, with parallels drawn between the fragmenting individual and the consuming individual. As exceedingly discontinuous processes of change occur through capitalist consumption habits that are emblematic characteristics of the postmodern condition, it is thus my belief that current postmodern visual culture contributes to an overall fragmented experience of the individual, where consumer practices are negatively affecting identity construction, and thus spurring on further cultural fragmentation and social disintegration. Copyright
Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2010.
Visual Arts
unrestricted

This paper considers the role of the human body in Octavia E. Butler’s The Parable of theSower and the way it interacts with defined space to stage expressive forms of politicalopposition. Understanding the relationship between physical or metaphorical space and thecontradictions of the societies they encompass is crucial to deciphering Butler’s near-futuredystopia; a world where the problems of real-life Los Angeles and Southern California aredistorted into a gross carnivalesque of gender stereotypes, sociopolitical tensions, and vigilante warfare. This paper places a special emphasis on the areas of social and political stagnation found in Butler’s vision of near-future L.A., and analyses the dangers of clinging to archaic, patriarchal systems that no longer resonate with contemporary audiences. Focus is also placed on potential methods of resistance against oppressive social institutions, particularly exploring the limitations met by protagonist, Lauren Oya Olamina, in her attempts to voice concerns in a society where language is so nuanced by “traditional” gendered qualities that the female voice carries no political value. This papers also questions theories which promote violent confrontation as a means to social reform, disregarding collateral damage and victims of war in favour of insurgency. By exploring the movement of the human body away from defined space, this paper supports Butler’s notion of alternative prosocial action which celebrates the margins of society, positing a nurturing, constructive means to resist political opposition.

La présente étude analyse les représentations de la ville dans la série policière d'Ian Rankin dont l'inspecteur John Rebus est le protagoniste. La polarité étant l'un des principes organisateurs de l'écriture rankinienne, notre analyse s'articule autour de plusieurs couples de notions antinomiques. Nous remettons d'abord en cause la légitimité de l'antinomie qui oppose la littérature à la " littérature de masse ", dans laquelle est souvent classé le roman policier. Cela nous conduit à redéfinir le roman policier, et mettre en perspective la série dans le contexte du monde littéraire et artistique écossais contemporain. Puis nous étudions l'articulation entre topographie réelle et lieu imaginaire dans l'Edimbourg de Rankin. Toute une géographie urbaine se dessine dans les romans ; l'arpentage incessant de l'espace par le protagoniste fournit l'occasion de références très spécifiques à la topographie et à la toponymie, et la sérialité tisse peu à peu un dense réseau de points nodaux ainsi qu'une multiplicité de trajets potentiels que nous avons représentés par des cartes fournies en annexe. Mais dans d'autres cas, l'espace se fait générique, se réfère plus à des conventions cinématographiques qu'à la carte de la ville. Nous envisageons enfin la ville d'Edimbourg comme un personnage ambivalent dans la lignée des personnages du roman gothique. La filiation gothique est perceptible dans l'esthétique de la ville, et la surface de la carte est compartimentée suivant un ensemble d'axes polarisants. Toutefois, cette carte se déploie elle-même par-dessus un double souterrain et non cartographiable d'Edimbourg, à la fois mémoire et inconscient de la ville.

The aim of this diploma thesis is to analyze and compare outstanding Anglo-American dystopias. The main attributes of dystopias, use of power, propaganda, censorship, and economic repercussions are described, as well as the hero's attitude towards society. This thesis analyses Golding's Lord of the Flies, Orwell's Animal Farm and 1984, Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, Huxley's Brave New World and London's The Iron Heel. The thesis focuses on similarities and differences in those dystopias.

The main purpose of this thesis is to analyze how the contemporary western society is reflected in the modern dystopian works' perspective. Key problems and aspects defining today's western society, e.g. consumerism and the role of science and technology, are specified in the introductory part of the thesis. The next part concerns with dystopian creation. Firstly there is focus on dystopian genre characteristics and its roots and typology. Secondly there is introduced a triad of classical dystopian works' representatives: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, 1984 by George Orwell and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Every work is shortly introduced with its synopsis in the beginning and key features of described visions of society follow afterwards. Then the thesis speaks about chosen modern dystopian works' representatives in detail: The Matrix by the Wachowskis, Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Divergent by Veronica Roth. After the synopsis summary of each there is an analysis of key features, a comparison with classical dystopias and a search for parallels in the contemporary western society. Questions how modern dystopias reflect modern society and how they correlate with classical dystopias and expert literature concerning contemporary social phenomena are answered in the conclusion of the thesis.

The aim of this thesis is to provide a comprehensive and focused reflection with regard to role of mass media in selected dystopian films, respectively in movies where some significant dystopian elements do appear. This thesis is based on themes that have been the content of bachelor thesis written by the same author and expands on it - however, the bachelor thesis analysed exclusively three novels (Brave New World, 1984 and Fahrenheit 451). Nevertheless this thesis does not include any film adaptation of these novels. Within this work a wider range of resources was employed as it allows highlighting multiple topics associated with the mass media. The main theme is therefore related to the use of mass media and their impact on society. The thesis contains interpretation (from media studies perspective) of a total of 12 films, which are then divided into three categories based on the prevailing perception of the role of mass media. The first part is focused on the mass media as a constitutive element of dystopian regimes. In this case the mass media affect the society as a whole. The second part deals with the films, in which, in which the media significantly influence the lives of specific individuals (although the whole society may not be affected). Finally, the third part includes movies, in...

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Arquitectura (área de especialização em Cultura Arquitetónica)
Admiráveis Mundos pretende realizar uma análise das relações entre sociedade e espaço em duas obras literárias de cariz distópico, que desenvolvem temas marcados pelas épocas em que foram escritas: Admirável Mundo Novo, de Aldous Huxley, e em Será que os Androides sonham com Ovelhas Eléctricas?, de Philip K. Dick. Os avanços tecnológicos dos séculos XIX e XX revolucionaram o desenvolvimento da sociedade contemporânea. Os valores e vontades adotados inspiraram vários artistas a escrever obras críticas sobre os novos modos de vida. Em ambas as obras, caraterizadas pela invasão da tecnologia no quotidiano, pelos dogmas industriais e pelos instrumentos de distração da população, a arquitetura e as vivências do espaço surgem como os elementos essenciais da narrativa. Assim, nas temáticas abordadas, destacou-se o papel do espaço como elemento de revelação das ironias e críticas dos autores. Através de uma estrutura dividida em três temáticas (exploração, introspeção e condicionamento), procurou-se interpretar as problemáticas expostas. A fim de entender o enquadramento das visões descritas, foi indispensável estudar a história e a arquitetónica dos séculos XIX e XX, bem como as experiências pessoais dos autores. A questão fundamental encontrada em ambas as obras é a adulteração da condição do ser, a qual se espelha no lugar. Foi entendida como uma crítica à modernidade e aos seus efeitos destrutivos, e pode ser lida como um aviso para a sociedade atual.
Admiráveis Mundos intends to carry out an analysis of the relations between society and space in two literary works of a dystopian nature, which develop themes marked by the times in which they were written: Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley, and in Do Androids dream of Electric Sheep? , by Philip K. Dick. The technological advances of the 19th and 20th centuries revolutionized the development of contemporary society. The values and desires adopted inspired several artists to write critical works about the new ways of life. In both works, characterized by the invasion of technology in daily life, by industrial dogmas and by the instruments of distraction of the population, the architecture and experiences of space appear as the essential elements of the narrative. Thus, in the themes addressed, the role of space was highlighted as an element of revelation of the authors' ironies and criticisms. Through a structure divided into three themes (exploration, introspection and conditioning), we sought to interpret the issues exposed. In order to understand the framework of the described visions, it was essential to study the history and architecture of the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as the authors personal experiences. The fundamental issue found in both works is the adulteration of the human condition, which is mirrored in space. It was understood as a criticism of modernity and its destructive effects, which can be read as a warning to today's society.

This dissertation focuses on utopian versus dystopian perceptions of rural indigenous African societies with regard to the modern metropolis. Since the evolution of the modern metropolis, rural African societies have undergone significant and complex cultural changes that have dislodged rural cultures from being perceived in terms of the traditional notion of fixity. This has lead to the modern city being seen as either utopian or dystopian by rural African societies. The dissertation questions the “utopianess” of the modern metropolis with a special focus on its central idea of “progress”. Special attention is given to artists who explore this cultural phenomenon in the utopian–dystopian paradigm. The dissertation goes further to address the cultural impact of recent technological developments on rural and urban societies, the researcher’s perceptions of this impact and how this has contributed to the dynamics that characterise the cultures of contemporary rural and urban migrants
Art History, Visual Arts & Musicology
M.A. (Visual Arts)

Ce mémoire constitue la première partie d'un projet de roman de fiction politique axé sur la monétisation de l'existence. Il s'agit d'une allégorie aux accents dystopiques portant sur l'économie libérale, prenant pour fondement la possibilité, postulée, de prélever, de stocker et de redistribuer l'énergie cellulaire vitale, ainsi mutée en nouvelle valeur d'échange. Chacune des quatre parties du roman ponctue une étape du cycle de vie de cette valeur, depuis sa découverte jusqu'à sa dépréciation. Le roman donne à voir les interactions entre les personnages et les institutions existantes et imaginées -sur des débats de société fondamentaux qui s'articulent autour de l'avoir et de l'être, mais aussi, ce qui est moins avouable, sur la valeur relative des individus dans une société orientée vers la performance et l'accumulation. L'écriture prend le pari du roman populaire et d'un genre littéraire connu pour inviter un large lectorat à une réflexion sur des sujets rarement abordés dans la culture du divertissement. Des choix se sont imposés à nous afin de mettre la qualité et la subjectivité de l'écriture au service de l'efficacité de la lecture, tout en évitant de simplifier les enjeux touchant les individus, la société et l'éthique au point de les rendre méconnaissables. Le texte d'accompagnement traite de ces choix relatifs à l'écriture que nous avons opérés, à l'égard de la langue et du genre littéraire comme du respect d'une certaine vraisemblance nécessaire au soutien de l'édifice narratif. Bien qu'il se limite à l'accompagnement de notre démarche, le texte survole aussi le questionnement qui nous a longtemps accompagné sur la difficile relation qu'entretiennent l'engagement politique et la littérature. Le rôle que tiennent la mort volontaire, l'immortalité et l'éthique dans notre projet de roman y est également abordé. ______________________________________________________________________________ MOTS-CLÉS DE L’AUTEUR : Dystopie, Éthique, Eugénisme, Fiction politique, Roman populaire, Suicide.

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Arquitectura (área de especialização em Cultura Arquitectónica)
Esta dissertação reúne algumas ideias que, no seu conjunto, propõem um entendimento sobre o que pode ser “Arquitectura”. “Pós- Arquitectura” será o termo usado para lhe fazer referência. O objectivo, para além de expandir o campo contextual daquilo que tradicionalmente se entende por “Arquitectura”, é dar-lhe a possibilidade de contemplar um maior poder no condicionamento, manipulação e definição de indivíduos. Serão utilizadas para isto noções e ideias disciplinarmente diversas, isto é, ideias que não são arquitectónicas no sentido convencional do termo. A diversidade disciplinar das ideias utilizadas é fundamental, dado que é através do seu cruzamento criativo que se propõe a Pós-Arquitectura. A Pós-Arquitectura é, neste sentido, uma prática interdisciplinar. Todos estes temas se vão articulando em torno das ideias de poder e discurso, segundo Michel Foucault. Ou seja, serão analisadas as dimensões nas quais cada uma destas diversas noções está relacionada com os discursos e as relações de poder das vidas dos indivíduos. Considera-se o ser humano como uma entidade constituída tanto por si mesmo como pelo seu ambiente; trata-se de uma continuidade onde os corpos não têm limites, e onde criar espaço é criar o indivíduo que o ocupa – é este o indivíduo Pós-Humano. A Pós-Arquitectura é a Arquitectura do Pós-Humano. Serve para produzir indivíduos através de espaço, não espaço em si mesmo.
This work brings together some ideas that, taken together, offer an understanding of what “Architecture” can be. “Post-Architecture” will be the term used to make reference to it. The aim, in addition to expanding the contextual field of what is traditionally meant by “Architecture”, is to give it the possibility of including a greater power in the conditioning, manipulating and definition of individuals. Disciplinarily diverse concepts and ideas will be used, i.e. ideas which are not architectural in the conventional sense of the word. The disciplinary diversity of ideas is critical, since it is through their creative intersection that Post-Architecture is proposed. Post-Architecture is, in this sense, a multidisciplinary practice. All these themes will be articulated around the ideas of power and discourse, according to Michel Foucault. That is, the dimentions in which each of these different notions is related to the discourses and power relations of the lives of individuals will be analysed. The human being is considered an entity made up both by himself and by his environment; it is a continuity where the bodies have no limits, and where creating space is working the individual that occupies it – this is the Post-Human individual. Post-Architecture is the Architecture of the Post-Human. It serves to produce individuals through space, not space itself.