Europe

The purpose of this study is to analyze the problem posed by homosexuality in Dante's Commedia. I look at several topics and questions : A) What are the implications of homosexuality in regards to both justice in the polis and to divine justice in the next world? B) What are the poetics of queer variance? C) What are the oedipal issues surrounding the Dantean father-figures VIrgil, Brunetto Latini, and other males? D) What is the role of the pedagogic Eros in promoting a strong national bond and social ethos? E) Where does Dante situate "sodomites" (and, by extension, what role does desire play) in the schemata of Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso, and why is this important? All of these questions are interrelated and have a bearing on Dante's notion of the good society and divine justice.

The Roma people, often referred to by the derogatory misnomer of "gypsy," are an ethnic group plagued by (mis)representation in popular culture. Roma representations in cinema, literature, journalism, and other forms of popular culture have perpetuated a long history of Roma exclusion. This thesis aims to identify not only the many manifestations of Roma (mis)representation, but also apply anthropological theory as a means of analyzing the ramifications of such (mis)representations on the Roma people. This paper concludes with suggestions for an anthropologically informed methodology of representation, and hopes to challenge long standing stereotypes and misinformation about the Romani culture.

This project considers the dual nature of early English thinker Francis Bacon as both a man of science and a devout Christian, through the texts Advancement of Learning, A Confession of Faith, and Of Gardens. Regardless of Bacon's preaching that the progression of scientific knowledge brings one closer to God, in fact human dominance over the natural world undermines religious faith. In particular, Bacon's own interest in early English gardening is used to illustrate the degradation of religious mysticism due to the rise of scientific discovery. Historically, Bacon has been credited as the catalyst of the scientific revolution due to his proposition of a new system of scientific inquiry based on empirical and inductive principles and the development of new arts and inventions. However, Bacon's embrace of the physical sciences and support for human advancement contradicts his alignment with religion. This tension is at the heart of the paper.