Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Phenomenological Tradition'

This essay traces the reception of Augustine in the 20th and 21st century phenomenological tradition. It gives special attention to recent monographs on Augustine by Jean-Luc Marion and Jean-Louis Chrétien, but contextualises these both fore (by examining the earlier work of Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger, as well as earlier and less determinative Augustinian engagements by Marion and Chrétien) and aft (by critically considering the philosophical, philological and theological implications of phenomenology for the study of Augustine). The cross-fertilization of its study of Augustine himself and its study of the various phenomenological appropriations of Augustine sheds new light on the Augustinian questions of Platonism, ontology, and the role of Scripture in philosophy.

The Barrier Canyon Style of rock art is found in south-eastern Utah, United States. It is the work of Late Archaic hunter-gatherers, and dates from approximately 4000 to 1500 B.P. This painted tradition is dominated by abstracted anthropomorphic figures, often depicted life-size. The landscape is a rugged one of deep, dry canyons bordered by sheer sandstone cliffs. It is within these canyons that the rock art is found. The methodological foundations for this study are catered to different facets of the tradition. The macro-topography of the land lends itself well to current trends in the study of rock art and landscape. The micro-topographies of individual sites are ideal subjects for phenomenological and kinaesthetic investigations of place. The large anthropomorphic motifs are best examined in terms of Alfred GelTs theories of art and agency. Metaphor theory helps find meaning in all these elements. Together, they provide an understanding of the relationships between the rock art, the landscape, and those who produced and consumed the sites and their images. The study begins with an experiential exploration of the study area---an embodied discussion of being-in-the-land. It proceeds through a discussion of how sites are discovered and accessed, and then moves on to a smaller-scale study of the physicality of the sites and the demands placed on the visitor by their local topography. Next, the study explores the positioning of the images on the rock, examining the agentive properties of the figures, and the immediate kinaesthetic effects the images impose on the visitor. From here, the art is explored in detail, and then a series of in-depth case studies apply the findings on a site-specific level. Finally, a concluding chapter discusses metaphors gleaned from the art and the land, and brings them together with the experiences described to provide a fuller understanding of this rock art tradition. I, the undersigned Michael Paul Firnhaber, confirm that the work presented in this thesis is my own. Where information has been derived from other sources, I confirm that this has been indicated in the thesis.

Thesis advisor: Richard . Kearney
This work responds to the question of community at an ontological level before notions such as identity and subjectivity have been assumed. I ask the question of community in terms of the principles that give rise to the being-togetherness of people. Modern philosophy’s responses are famously a version of Laws, social contracts, universal definitions, ideals, and values. Post-enlightenment philosophy assumes such categories as laws, norms, and religions across the board, applying them to all gatherings of peoples. Especially with respect to the Islamic community, and more particularly during the colonial era, categories such as religion and religious laws were used by orientalists to define Muslims, non-Muslims, and different sectors among them. Against this background, this work attempts to study the gathering of “a people” and the genesis of the laws at an ontological level. This approach will ultimately show how one’s interpretation of the existence of beings in general reflects one’s reading of the legal or political gatherings in particular. I will argue that Heideggerian and post-Heideggerian phenomenology can serve as allies since they have already initiated this line of questioning by their radical critique of the authority of the subject. Heidegger separates his way from the mainstream phenomenology by formulating his critique of subjectivity by way of reviving the Greek, especially Aristotle’s philosophy. Through what he calls Destruktion, or deconstruction of the tradition, he shows that the above-mentioned modern formulations of the self and the world are ultimately based on a certain scholastic reading of Aristotle, which reduces all meanings of being to a categorial one. Derrida carries this critique of identity over to the ethical and political realm. He investigates human beings’ interpretive relation to “otherness” by replacing identity or self with “following.” The “otherness” that we are in “following” can be a god, another human being, the animals and the environment, or the tradition of the past. In all these relationships, the hermeneutic strategy towards “otherness” is principally the same. Derrida’s suggestion for the most authentic mode of ‘following’ is deconstruction itself. He shows that there are the same schematic formulations involved in explaining the coming-to-be and gathering of things in nature as are involved with “a people” in a community. The genesis and the function of laws are the same in the creation of events and bodies in a natural world as the actions and productions in a political and ethical realm. Following such a critique, especially through Derrida’s deconstruction, I try to reveal the forces in Aristotle’s text that can potentially lead to two different formulations of the gathering of a people. For Aristotle, the notions of hylomorphism and teleology explain the genesis of multiplicity and difference. In the political and ethical realm, these principles give rise to the constitution of a just “exchange community.” The critique of these notions opens the door for alternative modes of gathering. By questioning the predetermined end (telos), I will suggest that the generation of multiplicity and gatherings become “nomadic.” Thus, deconstruction as the most authentic attitude towards “otherness,” when applied to Aristotle’s teleology, turns into “nomadic distribution” and “nomadic following” of the other. As an example of the effect of this critique and its actual ethical and legal consequence, in the history of philosophy and among actual communities, I examine the genesis of gatherings and laws in Islam and among Muslims. I explain what it means to “follow” the other in nature and in human society in Islam. Finally, I examine what it means to be a nomadic follower of the laws of Islam. I argue that the rituals of Islam, like Hajj, illustrate the being of Muslims as the followers of otherness in the most explicit way. The analysis of Hajj reveals the conflict of laws and justice because the ritual is not about mere obedience to laws. Instead, through performing it, Muslims are led to contemplate and wonder about their relationship to God, nature, and their fellow human beings. In Hajj, the nature of “following” is illustrated and brought to light
Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2019
Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Discipline: Philosophy

In recent years, philosophy of history has somewhat outgrown the two fields of interests often prescribed to that branch of philosophy: historiosophy and historics. Ordinarily, this outgrowth is inspired by efforts to reflect new forms of historiography (such as microhistory or history of daily life). However, such a move is also employed in attempting to explain non-professional, pre-theoretical or even pre-thematic relation to historical past. A daily historical consciousness – a notion that has became possible only in the latest philosophy of history – is investigated here as a phenomenon of tradition. As is the case with all concepts, sense of the concept of tradition is flexible, given its history, development and future tendencies. In view of the usage of the word “tradition” in contemporary practical and theoretical contexts, it is clear that this concept enjoys few open means of further development. It can be radicalized, i.e., made into a fetish or almost into a slogan; on the contrary, it can be demonized. It can also be seen as the name of a phenomenon experienced in all lives, irrespective of the time and culture in which they are lived. Of course, levels and intensities of these experiences are different. In all senses, the term tradition denotes a human way to understand a social dimension of time, and to act in that time. From the philosophical point of view, tradition is an aspect of the intersubjectivity of consciousness, and as such possesses its own... [to full text]
Disertacijoje analizuojama tradicija kaip istorijos filosofijos problema. Disertacijos tikslas – ištirti tradicijos dinamiką kaip savitą laiko patirtį, parodant tradicijos sąvokos vietą ir jos produktyvumą šiuolaikinėje istorijos filosofijoje. Teorinis disertacijos pagrindas – fenomenologijos ir naratologijos sankirta, kuri pastaruosius kelis dešimtmečius formuojasi kaip atskira kultūros reiškinių apmąstymo metodika. Tradicijos tema istorijos filosofijoje plėtojama lygiagrečiai su doktrinomis, analizuojančiomis daugiasluoksnio, skirtingų tankių ir ritmų istorinio laiko patirtis. Fenomenologijoje ši tema atsiranda kaip intersubjektyvios laiko patirties apmąstymų tęsinys, naratologijoje – kaip pasakojimo situacijos ir dinamiškos pasakojimo struktūros analizės tąsa. Taigi naratyvo teorija, kaip ir fenomenologinė intersubjektyvumo teorija, įgalina tirti daugumą klausimų, susijusių su tradicijos fenomenu: istorinio laiko patirčių modusus, kolektyvinės atminties, naratyvinės tapatybės formavimosi klausimus. Pirmojoje bei antrojoje disertacijos dalyse parodoma tradicijos sąvokos raida istorijos filosofijos kontekste bei paaiškinamos prielaidos tradicijos kaip filosofinės problemos atsiradimui naratologijoje bei fenomenologijoje. Trečiojoje dalyje, remiantis abiejų krypčių teiginiais bei konceptais, ištiriami svarbiausi tradicijos kaip istorinio laiko patirties struktūriniai aspektai. Paskutinėje disertacijos dalyje analizuojamos tradicijos temos plėtojimo praktiniuose ir teoriniuose... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

The aim of this thesis is to highlight the relevance of the spiritual dimension of Islamic calligraphy, focusing on the Turkish contemporary calligraphic tradition. Academic literature in the field has been dominated by the tendency to focus on the objects produced by artists, neglecting their personal experience and understanding of the art. Using a phenomenological perspective, I give voice to calligraphers I met in Istanbul and Konya, letting emerge their views on issues related to the relationship between art, religion and spirituality. I explore several themes that have arisen from the interviews I conducted with fifteen exponents of the contemporary tradition, organised as a journey from the most material aspects to the most abstract ones. The exploration of these themes starts with the symbolism hidden behind physical calligraphic tools, moving to the analysis of the symbolism of the point and the letters, elementary forms of the calligraphic creations. The bodily dimension has been taken into consideration, showing how the control of the body is an essential aspect of the calligraphic practice. The art can be conceived as a pathway requiring the development of several moral qualities and virtues, all necessary to improve both the artistic capabilities and the spiritual maturity of the practitioner, until the achievement of the authorisation to teach the art. Once a calligrapher reaches the license and the mastery of the art, they bear the responsibility of transmitting the art to others. Furthermore, they become agents of remembrance, portraying in the most beautiful manners the verses of the Quran in social religious spaces, as in mosques, or on calligraphic panels acquired by individual collectors or museums. Since their artwork focuses on representing religious materials, including the remembrance of the attributes of God and of Prophet Muhammad, their art is considered an act of worship. Finally, I investigate what the meaning of Divine Beauty is in Islamic calligraphy, presenting the perspectives of Turkish calligraphers and analysing the connections between the artistic form and the meaning of the contents of specific calligraphic works. In conclusion, I have not limited my analysis to the formal aspects of the art, rather I have highlighted the existential dimension of a complex practice which connects together several aspects of the human being, including the spiritual dimension. Thus, the traditional stream of Turkish contemporary calligraphy can be seen as a full manifestation of a culture, a lifestyle and a religion.

O tema abordado nessa tese refere-se à constituição do sujeito contemporâneo dentro de uma perspectiva cultural especificamente marcada pela experiência religiosa: a devoção a Nossa Senhora de Nazareth em Morro Vermelho (Caeté/MG). Utilizando-se desse campo fértil de expressão da nossa cultura brasileira as festas populares , buscamos investigar, descrever e discutir como, dentro desse contexto, emerge a experiência do pertencer como uma maneira de conceber a si mesmo. Para alcançar esse objetivo, verificamos como a experiência comunitária em Morro Vermelho, ordenada pela devoção mariana, contribui para a dinâmica do pertencer, ensejando a experiência de pertença local. Para isso, foi necessário: a) análise de três entrevistas coletadas durante os preparativos e a realização propriamente dita da festa de Nossa Senhora de Nazareth, em 2001, à luz da seguinte problematização: a relação entre o desenvolvimento da devoção, para os moradores de Morro Vermelho, e a emergência da experiência de pertencer a esse local; b) o delineamento dos elementos presentes na experiência comunitária dessa vila que favorecem a experiência do pertencer; c) a compreensão da dinâmica do pertencer, assim como vivida pelos entrevistados, e a sua influência na consciência que eles têm de si. Escolhemos a Fenomenologia Clássica de Husserl como método de análise, apoiando-nos também em alguns adeptos dessa escola filosófica, que nos auxiliaram na compreensão dos passos necessários para alcançarmos os significados essenciais da experiência assim como vivida pelos sujeitos reais, em consonância com a contribuição própria da Psicologia. Em seguida, mostramos o percurso comum da pertença entre os entrevistados, através da elaboração da experiência-tipo, identificando dois eixos comuns: a) conhecimento, verificação e relacionamento pessoal com Nossa Senhora de Nazareth: que ressalta o desenvolvimento da devoção para cada entrevistado, até o processo de verificação da tradição recebida; e b) do relacionamento pessoal com Nossa Senhora de Nazareth, nasce a construção da festa: que revela o comprometimento pessoal dos entrevistados com a festa, por meio do chamado a realizar uma tarefa específica nas comemorações marianas, a memória do relacionamento com a Santa como o lugar da pertença e a resposta ao chamado da Padroeira como uma manifestação de gratidão e expressão do pertencer. Após essa etapa, dialogamos com alguns autores, a partir de temáticas que apareceram na análise e na elaboração da experiência-tipo, tais como: a importância do conhecimento tradicional para a modernidade, a função da tradição oferecer raízes para a alma e como acontece a relação de pertença a um determinado povo. Por fim, realizamos o que a perspectiva fenomenológica intitula reconstrução teórica do vivido, a partir do confronto entre a estrutura da vivência de pertença dos entrevistados de Morro Vermelho como uma concepção de si e a contribuição de alguns autores, em conformidade com a elaboração da experiência dos depoentes, estruturada em três pontos: a) a origem do pertencer é uma tradição viva: a oferta de um referencial; b) a apreensão do significado da tradição: condição para um pertencer consciente; e c) a consciência de pertencer se concretiza na construção da festa: pertença como concepção de si mesmo.
This thesis refers to the contemporary individual constitution in a cultural perspective specifically marked by the religious experience: the devotion to Our Lady of Nazareth in Morro Vermelho (Caeté/MG). We investigated, described, and discussed - through this fertile field of expression in our Brazilian culture, our popular celebrations how the experience of belonging emerges as a way of oneself´s conception in this context. To reach this objective, we analyzed how the community experience in Morro Vermelho, ordered by the Mariana devotion, contributes to the sense of belonging dynamic, giving opportunity to the local experience. For this it was necessary: a) the analysis of three interviews collected during the preparation and party of Our Lady of Nazareth, in 2001, facing the following situation: the relationship between the development of devotion, for the citizens of Morro Velho, and the manifestation of the sense of belonging experience to this place; b) the description of the elements in the community life of this village that help in the sense of belonging experience; c) the understanding of the dynamic of the sense of belonging, as it is experienced by the interviewees, and its influence in their self-awareness. We chose the Classic Phenomenology by Husserl as the analysis method, as well as some of his followers, what helped in the comprehension of the necessary steps to reach the essential meanings of the experiences lived by the real individuals, in accordance to the Psychology contribution. After that, we showed the common path of the belonging feeling among the interviewees, through the elaboration of the experience, identifying two common axes: a) knowledge, verification, and personal experience with Our Lady Nazareth: that emphasizes the development of the devotion for each interviewee, until the process of verification of the received tradition and b) from the personal relationship with Our Lady Nazareth, the party organization starts: which reveals the personal commitment of the interviewees to the party, through the requirement to make the specific task in the Mariana celebrations, the memory of the relationship with the Saint as a place of belonging and the answer to the requirement from the patroness as a manifestation of gratitude and expression of the belonging feeling. After this step, we interact with some authors, using themes from the analysis and elaboration of the experience, such as: the importance of the traditional knowledge for the modern life, the function of the tradition to offer roots for the soul and how the relation of the sense of belonging happens in a group of people. In the end, we made the theoretical reconstruction according to the a phenomenological perspective of the experiences, based on the confrontation between the structure of the sense of belonging experience of the interviewees from Morro Vermelho as a self-conception and the contribution of some authors, according to the experience elaboration of the witnesses, structured in three ways: a) the origin of the sense of belonging is a live tradition: the offer of a frame of reference; b) the apprehension of the meaning of the tradition: the basis for a conscious belonging feeling; and c) the conscience of belonging gets concrete in the construction of the party: sense of belonging as a self-awareness.

People gather. Everywhere. They gather to witness. To tell and to listen to stories. To show what was done, and how what is to be done might best be done. To perform the necessary procedures to make sure the gods are glorified and the world continues to be made as it should. To dance, to heal, to marry, to send away the dead, to entertain, to praise, to order the darkness, to affirm the self. People are gathering. As they always have—everywhere. Doctors, lawyers, bankers and politicians don evening wear to attend performances in which people sing in unearthly voices in languages they do not understand, to sit in rows, silent, and to measure the appropriate length of time they should join with each other in continuing to make light slapping noises by striking the palms of their hands together to show their appreciation at the end of the performance. One hundred thousand people gather on the last Saturday of September every year in a giant stadium in the city of Melbourne, Australia at the “hallowed turf” of the Melbourne Cricket Ground, to watch 36 men kick, punch and catch an oval shaped ball with each other, scoring points by kicking it between long sticks planted in the ground. The gathered multitude wears the same ritual colours as the men playing the game. They cry out, stand and sing anthems. This game is played and understood nowhere else in the world, but in the Melbourne cultural calendar it is the most important day of the year. It is what makes Melbourne Melbourne. Before the whitefella came, aborigines from the clans of the Yiatmathang, Waradjuri Dora Dora, Duduroa, Minjambutta, Pangerang, Kwatt Kwatta—the wombat, kangaroo, possum, Tasmanian tiger, echidna, koala and emu, would gather on the banks of the Murray River, near what is now the twin cities of Albury/Wodonga to organize marriages, perform initiations, to lay down weapons, to dance, to settle debts and disputes, to tell stories, to paint their bodies, and to request permission from the Yiatmathang to cross the river and make the climb to the top of Bogong High Plains in late spring, to feast on the Bogong moths arriving fully grown after their flight from Queensland, ready to be sung, danced and eaten. On the island of Sulawesi, a son of a family bears the responsibility of providing the largest possible number of buffalo to be sacrificed at the funeral of his father. A sacrifice which will condemn the son to a life of debt to pay for the animals which must be slaughtered in sufficient number to affirm the status of his family, provide enough meat to assure the correct distributions are made, and assure that his father has a sufficiently large herd in Puya, the afterworld. Temporary ritual buildings for song and dance must be constructed, effigies made, invitations issued. Months are spent in the preparations. And then the people will arrive, family, friends, colleagues and tourists, in great numbers, from surrounding villages, from Ujung Pandang, from Jakarta, from Australia, from Europe, from the USA, to sing, dance, talk, look and listen. And if the funeral is a success, the son will gain respect, status and honour for himself, and secure a wellprovided journey to the afterlife for his father. In a primary school playground, in an outer suburb of any Australian city, thirty parents sit in a couple of rows of metal and plastic chairs on a spring afternoon to watch their own and each other’s children sing together in hesitant or strident voices, in or out of time and tune versions of well-known popular songs praising simple virtues are applauded; the younger the children, the greater the effort, the longer and louder the applause. Some of these people are the same doctors, bankers and lawyers who had donned evening wear the night before at opera houses, now giving freely of the appreciative palm slapping sound held so precious in that other environment. And they will gather and disperse and regather, at times deemed appropriate, at the times when these gatherings have always occurred, these lawyers, doctors, sons, mothers, sports fans, when and where they can and should and must, to sing, to dance, to tell stories, to watch and listen, to be there with and among each other bearing witness to their faith, their belief, their belonging, their values. But what, in these superficially disparate, culturally diverse and dispersed groups of people, what draws them, what gathers an audience, what gathers in an audience, and what in an audience is salient for the audience members? What gathers, what gathers in an audience?

Doctor of Philosophy
People gather. Everywhere. They gather to witness. To tell and to listen to stories. To show what was done, and how what is to be done might best be done. To perform the necessary procedures to make sure the gods are glorified and the world continues to be made as it should. To dance, to heal, to marry, to send away the dead, to entertain, to praise, to order the darkness, to affirm the self. People are gathering. As they always have—everywhere. Doctors, lawyers, bankers and politicians don evening wear to attend performances in which people sing in unearthly voices in languages they do not understand, to sit in rows, silent, and to measure the appropriate length of time they should join with each other in continuing to make light slapping noises by striking the palms of their hands together to show their appreciation at the end of the performance. One hundred thousand people gather on the last Saturday of September every year in a giant stadium in the city of Melbourne, Australia at the “hallowed turf” of the Melbourne Cricket Ground, to watch 36 men kick, punch and catch an oval shaped ball with each other, scoring points by kicking it between long sticks planted in the ground. The gathered multitude wears the same ritual colours as the men playing the game. They cry out, stand and sing anthems. This game is played and understood nowhere else in the world, but in the Melbourne cultural calendar it is the most important day of the year. It is what makes Melbourne Melbourne. Before the whitefella came, aborigines from the clans of the Yiatmathang, Waradjuri Dora Dora, Duduroa, Minjambutta, Pangerang, Kwatt Kwatta—the wombat, kangaroo, possum, Tasmanian tiger, echidna, koala and emu, would gather on the banks of the Murray River, near what is now the twin cities of Albury/Wodonga to organize marriages, perform initiations, to lay down weapons, to dance, to settle debts and disputes, to tell stories, to paint their bodies, and to request permission from the Yiatmathang to cross the river and make the climb to the top of Bogong High Plains in late spring, to feast on the Bogong moths arriving fully grown after their flight from Queensland, ready to be sung, danced and eaten. On the island of Sulawesi, a son of a family bears the responsibility of providing the largest possible number of buffalo to be sacrificed at the funeral of his father. A sacrifice which will condemn the son to a life of debt to pay for the animals which must be slaughtered in sufficient number to affirm the status of his family, provide enough meat to assure the correct distributions are made, and assure that his father has a sufficiently large herd in Puya, the afterworld. Temporary ritual buildings for song and dance must be constructed, effigies made, invitations issued. Months are spent in the preparations. And then the people will arrive, family, friends, colleagues and tourists, in great numbers, from surrounding villages, from Ujung Pandang, from Jakarta, from Australia, from Europe, from the USA, to sing, dance, talk, look and listen. And if the funeral is a success, the son will gain respect, status and honour for himself, and secure a wellprovided journey to the afterlife for his father. In a primary school playground, in an outer suburb of any Australian city, thirty parents sit in a couple of rows of metal and plastic chairs on a spring afternoon to watch their own and each other’s children sing together in hesitant or strident voices, in or out of time and tune versions of well-known popular songs praising simple virtues are applauded; the younger the children, the greater the effort, the longer and louder the applause. Some of these people are the same doctors, bankers and lawyers who had donned evening wear the night before at opera houses, now giving freely of the appreciative palm slapping sound held so precious in that other environment. And they will gather and disperse and regather, at times deemed appropriate, at the times when these gatherings have always occurred, these lawyers, doctors, sons, mothers, sports fans, when and where they can and should and must, to sing, to dance, to tell stories, to watch and listen, to be there with and among each other bearing witness to their faith, their belief, their belonging, their values. But what, in these superficially disparate, culturally diverse and dispersed groups of people, what draws them, what gathers an audience, what gathers in an audience, and what in an audience is salient for the audience members? What gathers, what gathers in an audience?

The millennial generation comprises the majority of learners in the traditional university setting. Nurse educators identify problems developing teaching strategies in education that undergraduate millennial nursing students find engaging and meaningful. To prepare for the challenges of this group, it is imperative nurse educators examine preferred teaching methods, student learning styles, and needs in relation to traditional pedagogies. The purpose of this study was to identify the perception of millennial students participating in traditional pedagogies and its significant implications for nursing education. This interpretive phenomenological study recorded the lived experiences of millennial nursing students’ experiences in traditional classrooms. One on one interviews with 13 millennial students were conducted. Data collection and analysis aligned with van Manen’s method. There are five themes that emerged from the data: physically present, mentally dislocated; unspoken peer pressure; wanting more from the professors; surface learning; and lack of trust. The essence focuses around the central theme of belonging. The millennial students identified the most significant challenge in a traditional classroom was disengaging professors. Recommendations for faculty to engage nursing students through a method of shared responsibility of educational approach are given. Blended teaching pedagogies that offer traditional and active methods such as role playing and discussion forums are recommended.

Notre thèse d’analyse des idées politiques retrace l’histoire intellectuelle de larevue de pensée critique étasunienne Telos de 1968 à 2001. A travers notre travail denarration critique, nous cherchons à comprendre, au sens wébérien, l’évolution idéologiquesignificative de la publication-organisation, qui est passée en moins de trente ans d’unpositionnement néo-marxiste affilié à la Nouvelle gauche américaine à un populisme prochede la Nouvelle droite européenne. Notre hypothèse de travail est que le rapport que Telosentretient avec la Théorie critique de l’Ecole de Francfort est déterminant pour comprendreson évolution et écrire son histoire. Nous défendons ici la thèse que Telos constitue unorgane dissident de « théorie critique nord-américaine » (Mooney, Calhoun) qui s’exprimesous la forme d’un « traditionalisme critique » qui tient lieu de synthèse entre différentesbranches de théorie critique contemporaine. En tant que synthèse, la théorie telosiennedépasse l'héritage de la vieille Théorie critique francfortoise, dans un double rapportd’intégration et de négation. In fine, Telos produit sa propre critique, une autre théoriecritique
Our doctoral dissertation traces the intellectual history of the American criticalthought journal Telos from 1968 to 2001. Through our critical narrative, we intend tounderstand, in the weberian sense, the significant ideological evolution of the publicationorganization,which, in less than thirty years, moved from a neo-Marxist position affiliatedwith the American New Left to a populism related to the European New Right. Our workinghypothesis is that the link between Telos and the Critical Theory of the Frankfurt School isdecisive to understand its evolution and write its history. Our thesis is that Telos is adissenting organ of “North-American Critical Theory” (Mooney, Calhoun) expressed as a“critical traditionalism” that acts as a synthesis between various trends of contemporarycritical theory. As a synthesis, the telosian theory overcomes the legacy of the old Criticaltheory in a dual relationship of integration and negation. Ultimately, Telos produces its owncriticism, another critical theory

Although the public school has made great strides in making its vision of education for all a reality, 13.8% of the students continue to stumble in their pursuit of a high school diploma and 4.2% ultimately fail in this pursuit (Dalton, Ingels, & Fritch, 2015; “Public high school graduation rates,” 2016). This phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of students who initially chose to drop out of high school but chose to later re-enroll in a non-traditional setting. The purpose of this study was to find commonalities among the experiences of the participants to shed light on the essence of the phenomenon. This study included interviews with 30 non-traditional high school students and three staff members of a non-traditional high school. Three global themes emerged: 1) students were academically behind and over-age yet began to have feelings of hopefulness after attending the non-traditional high school, 2) students appreciate the supportive environment fostered at the non-traditional high school yet feel they are more independent and in control of their educational journey, and 3) students make more academic progress in the non-traditional setting yet continue to struggle to complete the requirements, specifically in mathematics, for high school graduation. The essence as revealed through this study is that students who choose to leave high school do so for academic, social and emotional, and familial reasons. However, these students also understand the benefits of earning a high school diploma. Therefore, they have chosen to re-enroll in a setting where they can use the knowledge they have gained through life experiences to help them complete their educational journey.

Despite advances made during the women's movement, gender inequality is a problem for women seeking leadership opportunities within the U.S. Defense Industry today. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the perceptions of civilian females who had experienced gender inequality obstacles in their professional advancement opportunities within the U.S. Defense Industry. The mommy track framework, defined as the family/work imbalance; the gatekeeper framework; and the institutional sexism framework were used to guide this study. The research questions focused on how these women perceived both internal and external barriers to their professional advancement in the U.S. Defense Industry. A criterion sample of 18 civilian females who worked within the defense industry was interviewed. Data analysis included coding, categorizing, and analyzing themes. The resulting 5 themes were worker bee, traditional mentality/transitional workforce, education/training/network, traditional organizational culture, and fighting back. The findings also identified that gender inequality is apparent, women limit their potential growth, Queen Bees sting Wanna-Bees, and traditional organizational cultures maintain the status quo as the norm and enforce gendered stereotypes. The study leads to positive social change by raising awareness to policy-makers, educators, and women that can help set an agenda to overcome gender inequality.

Thesis (Ph.D. in Nursing) -- University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, 2006.
Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 200-215). Free to UCDHSC affiliates. Online version available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations;

An associate degree in nursing is obtained in the community college setting and is designed to be completed in 2 years of full-time study. Approximately 70% of practicing registered nurses (RNs) are educated at the associate degree or diploma (vocational training) level with only 15% moving on to achieve a degree past the associate level. The purpose of this phenomenological research is to study the lived experiences of registered nurses who obtained an associate degree in nursing and, while working in a health care setting, returned to school to attain a baccalaureate degree in nursing (BSN). Data gathered during individual interviews will provide documentation of the benefits of attaining a BSN as well as identifying barriers that associate degree RNs must overcome to pursue a BSN education.

Research psychologists often complain that practitioners disregard research evidence whilst practitioners sometimes accuse researchers of failing to produce evidence with sufficient ecological validity. The tension that thus arises is highlighted, using the specific illustrative examples of two treatment methods for post-traumatic disorder (PTSD): Eye-Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) and exposure based interventions. Contextual reasons for the success or failure of particular treatment models that are often only tangentially related to the theoretical underpinnings of the models are discussed. Suggestions regarding what might be learnt from these debates are put forward and implications for future research are discussed.

Educational Administration
Ed.D.
Two coinciding trends in education have given rise to this study: the political cycle of school reform and the heterogeneous nature of the charter school landscape. Since Minnesota became the first state to pass a charter law in 1991, the dramatic increase in the number of charter schools has provided opportunities for researchers to try to categorize the success of charter schools. Although the number of charter schools have almost doubled from 3,689 to 6,004 from 2005-2006 to 2012-2013, an average of approximately 500 charters have opened and more than 160 charter schools have closed per year during these eight years of the available data. However, students who attend charter schools do not have a monolithic educational experience. The purpose of this paper is to examine the perceptions of students and parents in relation to enrolling in a specific brick and mortar and several cyber charter schools, and if applicable, leaving said schools. This qualitative study explores the lived experiences of students and parents who reside in a rural public school district and chose to attend a cyber charter or brick and mortar charter school. Survey responses and information gathered from interviews of students and their parents/guardians were analyzed to illuminate the research questions. While the results will not be generalizable, this study has led to an understanding of what led these students to enroll in charter schools and if applicable, why they chose to leave. More specifically, three themes emerged from the data: (1) Family members, primarily mothers, significantly impacted students’ decisions to employ choice to enroll in charters; (2) The lack of extra-curricular activities in charters had a substantially negative impact on students’ experiences and (3) Educational quality was the foremost characteristic named in the determination to transfer out of a charter school. While there has been research on charter schools separate from studies on perceptions of school age children with respect to education programming, this examination indicates the need to unite charter research and student voice aspects within the realm of educational research.
Temple University--Theses

The aim of this dissertation is to analyze and discuss the individual experience of cultural legacy and inheritance, intended as the transmission of an immaterial product, from the perspective of continental philosophy, and especially through the lens of phenomenology. In particular, I discuss why the conventional way of approaching the matter in terms of tradition is unsatisfying when faced with the deeply personal nature of the Inheritance/Legacy phenomenon. I analyze the concept of `content' as the intellectual object to be transmitted and received in the process, and define it in terms of fragmentability and inclusiveness: what is the minimal notion that we can still inherit? What is the largest conglomerate of ideas that we can approach as one content? I introduce the fundamental notion of cultural density, as an alternative to culture in the discussion of the individual approach to contents. In particular, I define cultural density as the sum of all possible contents potentially available to an individual at any given time. Then, I move to the analysis of the moment of attention, as the locus of actualization of the contents, which are available in one's cultural density and, through attention, move into the interpretative space of inheritance. I also distinguish between attention and attentiveness. The core of my dissertation focuses in turn on Inheritance (the process of receiving a content from a previous author and making it ours) and Legacy (the creation of cultural contents in the perspective of a future receiver). I analyze their temporal relation and their complex interaction with our perception of time. I show how they are interconnected and how they both rely on narration (and specifically on self narration as a form of re-presentation) to be brought into actuality. Finally, I deal with their co-dependence and show how the reliance of Inheritance and Legacy on each other (with each needing the other to come first) gives rise to an apparent paradox. I suggest the notion of a saturated phenomenon (elaborated by Marion) to solve it, with an invitation to conceive the inconceivable (following Derrida and Levinas).

M.Tech.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines African Traditional Medicine (ATM) as comprising of indigenous experiences of different cultures, approaches, knowledge and beliefs, which incorporates plant, animal and mineral-based medicines together with spiritual therapies in the treatment, diagnostic and the prevention of disease (WHO, 2008). It is estimated that up to 70-80% of the black population in South Africa consult African Traditional Healers (ATH) for their health care needs before or together with the use of other health care providers (Truter, 2007). According to Truter (2007) this is because many in the black population find ATH to be more accessible, familiar and more knowledgeable concerning culture-bound syndromes and traditions. Homoeopathy is a form of natural medicine that takes a holistic approach to the treatment of patients. As part of a holistic approach, Homoeopaths are required to understand their patient’s frame of reference and their life world. As many of the black patients who consult Homoeopaths also consult ATH, it is important for the Homoeopathic practitioner to understand these patients in order to ensure positive doctor-patient relationships. The aim of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore and describe the experiences of black people consulting ATH in Tshwane and from this information, make guidelines for improved meaningful interactions between Homoeopathic practitioners and their patients who consult ATH. This was a contextual, qualitative and phenomenological research design. Ten black participants who consulted with ATH were interviewed. The participants were recruited by means of purposive sampling. African Traditional Healers were identified through the Kara Heritage Institute in Tshwane, an institution dealing with indigenous knowledge systems. Volunteers were recruited through advertisements (Appendix A) which were placed at the designated working areas of ATH with their permission. Participants completed the information and consent form (Appendix C).

Text in Afrikaans
In this qualitative research study the landscape of the age-old tradition of contemplative spirituality within the context of the reformed tradition was investigated. An empirical study was done to determine the pastoral needs and experiences of Afrikaans speaking believers from the reformed tradition, involved in contemplative spirituality. Questionnaires and qualitative interviews were used for this purpose. The research path has been further shaped by social construction theory as a postmodern approach. This study was born out of my own discovery of the healing qualities of contemplative spirituality and secondly due to the growing demand among Afrikaans speaking reformed believers for exposure to the disciplines of contemplative spirituality. Little research is available on this topic and is it the hope of this research to open new conversations about contemplative spirituality in the Afrikaans reformed tradition.
Practical Theology
M. Th. (Praktiese Teologie)

This phenomenological study was conducted in order to understand the everyday experiences of contemporary mystics in the Jewish traditions of Kabbalah. This author could find no available information about psychological research of this topic in psychological, educational or psychiatric databases. She used the applied phenomenological methodology of Howard Pollio and the Research Groups at the University of Tennessee. Interviews were conducted by this author with eight volunteer, living, adult participants who lived throughout the United States and ranged in age from 37 to 60+ years. These mystics were found through various means after they had described themselves, by their own definitions, as mystics in the Jewish traditions(s) of Kabbalah. There were six men and two women who participated; four were Jewish and four were not. The interviews ranged from one to three hours in length, were recorded, and later transcribed for confidential analyses. After analyzing the results, the Ground of the participants’ experience was determined to be Being Aware. The Thematic Structure of the participants’ everyday experiences of living with their mystical events and processes contained six themes: 1) Divine/Sacred, 2) Receiving/Calling/Gift, 3) Knowing/Realizing, 4) Practices/Body, 5)Developing/Stages, and 6) Struggling: Self/Others/World. Implications for this study suggest that the everyday experiences of these mystical participants are different in many ways from everyday experiences of non-mystics. There is some support for the ideas of spiritual intelligence, spiritual giftedness, consciousness advancement. Appreciating intuition, higher emotional states, and the deeper, yet usually hidden parts of human experience, along with learning to identify and support young people who are having mystical experiences is a worthwhile goal for psychologists.

The study aimed at giving a thick description of African families' experiences, views, cultural beliefs and interpretations of traumatic brain injury (TBI), and making recommendations for rehabilitation. It was conducted from the qualitative research paradigm, adopting a phenomenological research method. Twenty-two pairs of participants (patients and their caregivers )were interviewed about their perception of TBI. The semi-structured interviews were conducted at the participants' homes in Sesotho, and where necessary in their home languages. The consequences of TBI were found to follow universal trends (Oddy, 1984). However, participants' perceptions, as shaped by their experiences, views and cultural beliefs, were found to be unique. On analysing the gathered data, using inductive data analysis, it was found that African families' interpretations of TBI were based on beliefs about witchcraft, thwasa, Satanism, ancestral anger and God's wish. Based on these findings, rehabilitation services in the form of education, advocacy, networking and family therapy are recommended.
Psychology
M.A.(Clinical Psychology)