Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/733
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Item Westernization in sub-Saharan Africa : facing loss of culture, knowledge, and environment(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 2007) Scott, Meghan Marie; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Ralph JohnsonSub-Saharan Africa faces many challenges; among them is the struggle to westernize. But is westernization really the answer for this large 'third world' population? Westernization has stripped many of the cultures that make up sub-Saharan Africa of their knowledge bases, knowledge of tradition, and pride in culture. The principles behind International architecture indicate to this part of the world that the way they are living (with sensitivity to earth, season, and hardship) is uncivilized. That instead of grass huts that can be rebuilt if a drought causes a family to move, they must build multi-story buildings in town centers, out of concrete in order to be considered civilized. Instead, the loss of this pride in culture can be reversed. This thesis investigated whether or not architecture can be created in this third world region that gives thought to aesthetics, environment, culture and socio-economic situation; Can a building in sub-Saharan Africa be constructed for more than just the function of shelter, no matter what the aesthetic costs? Can it be functional, affordable, easily constructed and take into account design aesthetic? A new generation of architecture can emerge in Africa: a generation of sustainable, aesthetically sensitive buildings that educate inhabitants about their heritage and environment; a generation of architecture that begins to return pride in culture and heritage to populations in grave danger of losing knowledge of both.Item Cinematic geographies : environmental determinism in film analysis(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 2012) Keto, David Wayne; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Ian van Coller.Through much of its history, film has been used as a mechanism to help naturalize human cultural assumptions. Through this process human cultural stereotypes are positioned as arising from nature. The theory of environmental determinism has been used as a mechanism to further this naturalizing process. This paper analyzes two films, 'The Columbia' and 'No Country for Old Men', to uncover how environmental determinism is deployed across a range of film types as a naturalizing apparatus. The paper goes on to suggest how a more critical approach to film analysis using environmental determinism in conjunction with critical regionalism is a viable means of better understanding the complex interaction of nature and culture on film. This approach can help viewers better recognize when particular ideas within a film are structured as being derived from nature when in reality the ideas are human cultural artifacts.