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Building Cosmopolitical Solidarity from the Antigone: A Return to the Chorus

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Date Issued:
2007
Summary:
“Building Cosmopolitical Solidarity from the Antigone.” takes an in-depth look at how the Antigone by Sophocles has been used by social movements and social/politically concerned playwrights, theorists and activists as either a tool for discursive and performative resistance, or as a way to reinforce status-quo state rule since at least the Enlightenment to present day. I argue that Sophocles’ characters Creon and Antigone are not ideal images for social movements who seek a cosmopolitical democracy. Rather it is to Sophocles’ Chorus and the Watchman that we must turn when proposing democratic cosmopolitanism. Thus, a new communication approach is proposed: a choral dialogue driven by pragmatic logic and employing an aesthetic, often comedic, improvisational experience. Further, this work strives to unite theories from social science, social movement theory, rhetoric, philosophy and theatre. Its aim is to offer practical tools for social movements who wish to gain international, cosmopolitical, stature and to encourage a progressive democratic space. Core study groups include the Project for a New American Century, Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping, ACT-UP, and the Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army.
Title: Building Cosmopolitical Solidarity from the Antigone: A Return to the Chorus.
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Name(s): McCarthy, Rebecca L.
Hokenson, Jan W., Thesis advisor
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Created: 2007
Date Issued: 2007
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 291 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: “Building Cosmopolitical Solidarity from the Antigone.” takes an in-depth look at how the Antigone by Sophocles has been used by social movements and social/politically concerned playwrights, theorists and activists as either a tool for discursive and performative resistance, or as a way to reinforce status-quo state rule since at least the Enlightenment to present day. I argue that Sophocles’ characters Creon and Antigone are not ideal images for social movements who seek a cosmopolitical democracy. Rather it is to Sophocles’ Chorus and the Watchman that we must turn when proposing democratic cosmopolitanism. Thus, a new communication approach is proposed: a choral dialogue driven by pragmatic logic and employing an aesthetic, often comedic, improvisational experience. Further, this work strives to unite theories from social science, social movement theory, rhetoric, philosophy and theatre. Its aim is to offer practical tools for social movements who wish to gain international, cosmopolitical, stature and to encourage a progressive democratic space. Core study groups include the Project for a New American Century, Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping, ACT-UP, and the Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army.
Identifier: FA00000986 (IID)
Degree granted: Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2007.
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Subject(s): Sophocles--Antigone
Greek drama (Tragedy)--Criticism and interpretation
Cultural relativism--United States
Political science--Philosophy
Power (Social sciences)
Drama--Chorus (Greek drama)
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Sublocation: Digital Library
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00000986
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.