title: Staying in, tuning in, and coming out: Music as imagined space in lesbians’ coming out geographies

authors: Hardie, Lisa Caroline

subjects: Music

abstract: This thesis examines the mutually constitutive relationship between lesbians, music, place and space. It is argued that music creates safe spaces for a small group of lesbians during their coming out process. Feminist, post-structuralist and queer theories and methodologies provide the framework for this research. In particular Foucault’s concept ‘heterotopia’ is utilised to argue that music can subvert hegemonic sexualised spaces and create temporary utopic imagined spaces for lesbians. Based on a series of semi-structured interviews and music elicitation with ten lesbians (aged between 27 and 34) in the United Kingdom and New Zealand, the findings show how imagined spaces created by music play a significant role in the performance of lesbian sexual identities, coming out, and feelings of belonging. 

Three themes frame my analysis of lesbian music heterotopias. First, I argue that music can create safe spaces for lesbians who experience feelings of shame, fear, and embarrassment. Acting as a type of mobile and symbolic ‘closet’, music may shield young lesbians from homophobic attitudes and reactions. Second, music may be understood as intimate space in which same-sex longing, loving and heartache can be explored and expressed. Music becomes a technology of memory whereby the listener creates a heterotopia of time to reminisce past same-sex desires and heartache. Third, I consider the way in which music can be understood as connecting space. Places such as bars and concerts are transformed by music and become places in which lesbians may connect and socialise. Feelings of isolation dissolve when connections are made in both imagined and real spaces of music. These findings illustrate that both the private and public lesbian geographies of music helps create communities of belonging.

This thesis responds to the lack of attention paid to lesbians’ coming out geographies and demonstrates the power of music in subverting the sexual hegemony of everyday imagined and real spaces. Considering lesbians’ coming out music heterotopias may encourage a more critical understanding of power, sexualities, music, space and place.

text: Staying in, tuning in, and coming out: Music as imagined space in lesbians’ coming out geographies This thesis examines the mutually constitutive relationship between lesbians, music, place and space. It is argued that music creates safe spaces for a small group of lesbians during their coming out process. Feminist, post-structuralist and queer theories and methodologies provide the framework for this research. In particular Foucault’s concept ‘heterotopia’ is utilised to argue that music can subvert hegemonic sexualised spaces and create temporary utopic imagined spaces for lesbians. Based on a series of semi-structured interviews and music elicitation with ten lesbians (aged between 27 and 34) in the United Kingdom and New Zealand, the findings show how imagined spaces created by music play a significant role in the performance of lesbian sexual identities, coming out, and feelings of belonging. 

Three themes frame my analysis of lesbian music heterotopias. First, I argue that music can create safe spaces for lesbians who experience feelings of shame, fear, and embarrassment. Acting as a type of mobile and symbolic ‘closet’, music may shield young lesbians from homophobic attitudes and reactions. Second, music may be understood as intimate space in which same-sex longing, loving and heartache can be explored and expressed. Music becomes a technology of memory whereby the listener creates a heterotopia of time to reminisce past same-sex desires and heartache. Third, I consider the way in which music can be understood as connecting space. Places such as bars and concerts are transformed by music and become places in which lesbians may connect and socialise. Feelings of isolation dissolve when connections are made in both imagined and real spaces of music. These findings illustrate that both the private and public lesbian geographies of music helps create communities of belonging.

This thesis responds to the lack of attention paid to lesbians’ coming out geographies and demonstrates the power of music in subverting the sexual hegemony of everyday imagined and real spaces. Considering lesbians’ coming out music heterotopias may encourage a more critical understanding of power, sexualities, music, space and place.

year: 2012

title: Data transformation: a semantically-based approach to function discovery

authors: Phan, Thong H.

subjects: Function discovery

abstract: This paper presents the method of data transformation for discovering numeric functions from their examples. Based on the idea of transformations between functions, this method can be viewed as a semantic counterpart to the more common approach of formula construction used in most previous discovery systems. Advantages of the new method include a flexible implementation through the design of transformation rules, and a sound basis for rigorous mathematical analysis to characterize what can be discovered. The method has been implemented in a discovery system called "LINUS," which can identify a wide range of functions: rational functions, quadratic relations, and many transcendental functions, as well as those that can be transformed to rational functions by combinations of differentiation, logarithm and function inverse operations.

text: Data transformation: a semantically-based approach to function discovery This paper presents the method of data transformation for discovering numeric functions from their examples. Based on the idea of transformations between functions, this method can be viewed as a semantic counterpart to the more common approach of formula construction used in most previous discovery systems. Advantages of the new method include a flexible implementation through the design of transformation rules, and a sound basis for rigorous mathematical analysis to characterize what can be discovered. The method has been implemented in a discovery system called "LINUS," which can identify a wide range of functions: rational functions, quadratic relations, and many transcendental functions, as well as those that can be transformed to rational functions by combinations of differentiation, logarithm and function inverse operations.

year: 1994-08

title: Developing community and social psychology for Aotearoa: Experiences from a New Zealand programme of indigenization

authors: Thomas, David R.

subjects: indigenous psychology

abstract: Experiences related to developing an indigenous community and social psychology
in the teaching of psychology at the University of Waikato in Aotearoa/New Zealand
are described. The process of localization emphasizes the need to interpret
"universal" concepts in terms of local cultural patterns and to elaborate psychological
concepts derived from the cultures of indigenous peoples. The localization of
psychology in New Zealand involves: (a) differences between the dominant United
States cultural pattern, in which much English-language psychology is embedded,
and New Zealand cultural patterns; and (b) differences between the dominant
Pakeha (Anglo-New Zealander) cultural patterns and the cultural patterns of
indigenous Maori peoples. These cultural differences involve contrasts between
individualistic and collective conceptions of self-identities and social identities, and
alternative conceptions of community needs.
Three processes relevant to localization are outlined: socio-cultural contextualization,
agenda-setting, and knowledge of cultural styles. Socio-cultural contextualization
refers to the relevance of psychological knowledge, taught in dominant national
institutions, to local social, cultural and political systems. Agenda-setting focuses on
how the dominant themes in teaching and research within psychology are selected,
and the relevance of these themes to community needs. Knowledge of local cultural
styles is required to describe and teach professional roles that are congruent with
such cultural styles.

text: Developing community and social psychology for Aotearoa: Experiences from a New Zealand programme of indigenization Experiences related to developing an indigenous community and social psychology
in the teaching of psychology at the University of Waikato in Aotearoa/New Zealand
are described. The process of localization emphasizes the need to interpret
"universal" concepts in terms of local cultural patterns and to elaborate psychological
concepts derived from the cultures of indigenous peoples. The localization of
psychology in New Zealand involves: (a) differences between the dominant United
States cultural pattern, in which much English-language psychology is embedded,
and New Zealand cultural patterns; and (b) differences between the dominant
Pakeha (Anglo-New Zealander) cultural patterns and the cultural patterns of
indigenous Maori peoples. These cultural differences involve contrasts between
individualistic and collective conceptions of self-identities and social identities, and
alternative conceptions of community needs.
Three processes relevant to localization are outlined: socio-cultural contextualization,
agenda-setting, and knowledge of cultural styles. Socio-cultural contextualization
refers to the relevance of psychological knowledge, taught in dominant national
institutions, to local social, cultural and political systems. Agenda-setting focuses on
how the dominant themes in teaching and research within psychology are selected,
and the relevance of these themes to community needs. Knowledge of local cultural
styles is required to describe and teach professional roles that are congruent with
such cultural styles.

year: 1994-08