Date of Award:

5-2022

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

English

Committee Chair(s)

Jeannie Banks Thomas

Committee

Jeannie Banks Thomas

Committee

Lynne S. McNeill

Committee

Henri Jean-Francois Dengah II

Abstract

Every single person, no matter who they are; what they look or sound like; where they are or come from in space and time; their sex, gender, and/or orientation; their age or maturity; their culture; and/or their background, has one or multiple belief(s) and/or belief system(s) of some kind. Such belief may be temporary, transient, fleeting, or long lasting. It/they may be superficial or deeply rooted. It/they may be (considered) or seem rational or irrational. It/they may be encouraged or discouraged, romanticized or pathologized. It/they may be conscious, subconscious, or unconscious; or, such belief(s) may exist somewhere in between. It/they may also vary in degree(s). Through Christmas movie case study examples depicting the widely spread belief in Santa Claus, this thesis presents an introduction to a formulated theory of cyclical belief consisting of the three primary points that are belief, unbelief (with subsidiary points disbelief and misbelief), and the created and defined rebelief and how people transition from one state to another.

Checksum

726f79e7193641c0683f8ae7ebcad63f

Download

Share

COinS

Copyright for this work is retained by the student. If you have any questions regarding the inclusion of this work in the Digital Commons, please email us at .