title: Assessing the Interregional Economic Implications of Developing Canada's Arctic Oil Reserves: A Dynamic-Multiregional lnput-Output Approach

contributor:
Anderson, William P.
Geography

subject: Geography economy

abstract:
This dissertation combines published Canadian Provincial and Territorial Input-Output (1-0) data with unpublished expert information to mobilize a Dynamic Multiregionallnput-Output Model (MRIO) of the Canadian economy. Specifically, the model is used to assess the interregional economic implications of developing the proven oil potential of the Mackenzie Delta and Beaufort Sea regions of Canada's Northwest Territories (NWT).

The model developed in this dissertation represents a hybrid created by merging the desirable features of the long proven MRIO approach pioneered by Chenery (1953), Moses (1955), and Polenske (1980) with those of the reformulated Dynamic 1-0 approach espoused by Duchin and Szyld (1985). This hybrid model explicitly accounts for the interdependence between regions, as well as the fact that certain investment plans will result in capacity exceedence in various sectors in the NWT.

Three scenarios of Arctic Oil development are evaluated, and detailed capital investment time-lines prOVided by the authors of these scenarios (Croasdale and McDougall, 1992) are used to provide the investment and expansion information needed to drive the model.

The dynamic MRIO model is applied to each scenario, and the interregional economic impacts associated with the construction phase for each are assessed. The results suggest that in all scenarios, as expected, the NWT experiences the largest total impacts, followed by Ontario and Quebec (central region), and Alberta and British Columbia (western region). The effects captured by the NWT are largely direct, while the effects captured by the remaining regions include significant indirect and induced effects. The analysis also illuminated a key structural difference between the economies of the western and central regions; the manufacturing sector of the former exhibited a definite resource processing focus, while in the case of the latter, the manufacturing sector appeared more diverse and mature.

The results also highlight a fact that characterizes the NWTs' experience with large scale resource projects in the past; that is, pipeline construction activities in the NWT are found to have the largest effect on the magnitude of the economic benefit captured by the NWT. Construction activities, by definition, are one of the few economic activities required in each of the scenarios which is satisfied entirely by NWT production.

The fact that the total impact in the NWT, across all scenarios, accounted for approximately 40% of the total output in the NWT (in 1984), combined with the fact that this region is characterized as a staple economy, suggests that a resurgence of oil and gas activity in the Beaufort Sea could lead to another boombust cycle of economic growth and decline in the NWT. Ongoing geopolitical change (e.g., negotiations on a Northern Accord and Comprehensive Land Claim Settlements), could act to shield this region from such a cycle to some extent, and allow the region to derive some long-term economic benefit from its resource endowment.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: In Defense of the Aesthetic Attitude

contributor:
Madison, Gary Brent
Philosophy

subject: Philosophy Philosophy

abstract: The enormous and seemingly insurmountable difficulties encountered in the attempt to think clearly about the centra 1 prob 1 ems in aesthet i cs has 1 ed many recent aesthet i c i ans to redef i ne the i r obj ect of study, and to examine the methods appropriate to aesthetics. Liberalminded theories in aesthetics are often too ambitious, however, and in their attempt to better account for aesthetic experience, they lose philosophical integrity. Th; s thes is rev i ews the 1 i bera 1 aesthet i c theory of Arno 1 d Berleant, and recommends the restitution of the notoriously conservative aesthetic attitude. The defense of the aesthetic attitude comes in two parts. The first concerns the conceptual necessity of the aesthetic attitude for saying anything at all intelligible in aesthetics. The second is a defense of the aesthetic attitude from a decidedly un-conservative point of view. Here it is maintained that the aesthetic attitude underl ies the d i st i nct i on we rout i ne 1 y make in ou r aesthet i c exper i ence between the practical world and the world of the text, a distinction which Berleant seeks to collapse. It is demonstrated that a hermeneutical analysis of aesthetic experience upholds the importance of a traditional form of the aesthetic attitude in theory and experience alike.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: The Nature of Hydrogen in Raney Nickel Catalysts

contributor:
Anderson, R.B.
Chemistry

subject: Chemistry Chemistry

abstract: The amount and nature of hydrogen in Raney nickel catalysts were determined by various methods: thermal desorption in a volumetric apparatus, temperature-programmed desorption using argon as a carrier gas and techniques similar to those of Amenomiya and Cvetanovic, hydrogen-deuterium exchange, dissolution in acids and other methods. Most of the hydrogen removed in thermal desorption can not be re-adsorbed. Desorption was generally exothermic and each type of sample had a characteristic TPD spectrum. Water vapor, introduced over the catalyst, increased the hydrogen evolution sizeably and this process was also exothermic. Under these conditions water will not oxidize bulk nickel. Present results suggest that the reaction of residual aluminum and water is an important source of hydrogen evolved on heating Raney nickel, but part of the hydrogen is held interstitially.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Core Self-Awareness and Personhood

contributor:
Gedge, E.
Philosophy

subject:
self awareness
morals
ethics
non humans
animals
Philosophy
Philosophy

abstract: All beings who possess the capacity for core self-awareness are moral persons and ought to be legal persons. More specifically, I argue that core self-aware beings ought not to be used merely as a means. This moral prohibition ought to be legally enforced and such enforcement can only be effectively accomplished with legal personhood status. Moreover, the moral prohibition that core self-aware beings ought not to be used merely as a means constitutes the essence of moral personhood. This prohibition is defended with four mutually supportive justifications: Kantian ethics, utilitarianism, ethical empathism and a principle of equal consideration of interests. The moral frameworks appealed to either support the thesis directly or do so after philosophically questionable elements have been removed form them. These frameworks are ultimately justified by an appeal to Aristotelian ethics. Although Aristotle concludes that only those who are capable of abstract rational contemplation can embody the good that is the proper subject of moral philosophy, it is briefly claimed within this thesis that Aristotle's undefended premises assume this conclusion. This claim regarding Aristotle's conclusion about rational beings is not defended herein and is left for a future work. The thesis that all beings who possess the capacity for core self-awareness are persons, or ought not to be used merely as a means, is relatively rare in philosophical discourse. The present work is original because its essential claim is defended with a synergy of seemingly disparate traditional moral theories, a new moral theory and a principle of equal consideration of interests. It is a significant contribution to III philosophical knowledge because the question of who counts in ethics, or who is the proper subject of moral discourse, is fundamental to moral philosophy. An important political implication of this thesis is that non-human animals are persons.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: THE REENTRY OF YOUNG OFFENDERS: A LOOK AT SUCCESSFUL REINTEGRATION

contributor:
Baker-Collins, Stephanie
Sammon, Sheila
Dumbrill, Gary
Social Work

subject:
Young offender
youth
offender
reentry
youth crime
reintegration
Criminal Law
Juveniles
Law and Society
Legal History, Theory and Process
Social Work
Criminal Law

abstract: This qualitative study looks at the experiences of youth reentering their communities after serving a custodial sentence. Interviews were conducted from the perspectives of five key informants, including youth counselors and probation officers. Based on these conversations, the nuances of youth reentry were explored in-depth. These pages contain personal stories regarding the successes and challenges that come with reentry and reentry programming. Based on the findings and relevant literature, recommendations and suggestions on how to improve reentry are made. Further, in contrast to dominant recidivism-based understandings of success, this study promotes a more holistic understanding of successful reentry outcomes.

abstract: Master of Social Work (MSW)


title: Effects of thinning on carbon dynamics in a temperate coniferous forest

contributor:
Arain, M. Altaf
Geography and Geology

subject:
thinning
eddy covariance
carbon
micrometeorology
Earth Sciences
Earth Sciences

abstract: Forest ecosystems are a significant component of the global carbon (C) cycle. Afforestation is considered a cost-effective and ecologically viable means to sequester atmospheric carbon. However, afforestation requires intensive management practices, including thinning, to maintain and enhance the carbon sequestration capability of the forest. This study examines thinning effects on forest carbon dynamics using eddy covariance (EC) methods. In January 2012, a 74-year-old white pine (Pinus strobus) plantation located in southern Ontario was selectively thinned. Approximately 30% of trees, equating to 2308 m3 of wood (sawlogs and pulpwood), were removed to improve light, water and nutrient availability for remaining trees. Fluxes of energy, water, carbon dioxide (CO2) as well as meteorological variables were measured throughout the year following thinning and compared to data from the previous 9 years to evaluate effects of thinning on forest carbon dynamics. Mean annual net ecosystem productivity (NEP), gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) and ecosystem respiration (RE) from the 9 years prior to thinning were 290, 1413 and 1118g C m-2, respectively. Post-thinning NEP, GEP and RE were 154, 1509 and 1350 g C m-2 year-1, respectively. Post-thinning NEP was significantly less than pre-thinning at the annual time scale due to higher RE, however post-thinning fluxes were still within the range of interannual variability. At this site, approximately 20% of interannual variability in NEP, GEP and RE was explained by environmental conditions. Effects of extreme weather events, particularly heat and drought stress, were demonstrated to negatively impact NEP. Biotic responses to environmental drivers explained the remaining 80% of interannual variability in fluxes. Thinning did not significantly impact these responses. Further, results suggest that thinning may improve tolerance to drought stress by improving water availability for remaining trees. Therefore, thinning has the potential to effectively reduce resource competition and stimulate growth and carbon sequestration in temperate coniferous forests.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Nietzsche as Cultural Physician

contributor:
Amstutz, Jakob
Philosophy

subject: Nietzsche culture philosophy Philosophy Philosophy

abstract: From Nietzsche's early writings to those marking the end of his intellectual life~ the dynamics of what he called "physiology" permeate virtually every facet of his philosophical enterprise. In the following investigation these dynamics are explored as an interpretive key to not only the dominant themes but also the philosophical motive underlying Nietzsche's philosophy. This motive is described in terms of his diagnosis and attempted cure for the disease of nihilism. In this we maintain that Nietzsche's foremost philosophical task is that of a cultural physician. In pursuit of this theme, Nietzsche's "clinical standpoint" is explored and applied with regard to Socrates and Jesus Christ as two case studies in decadence. These two "cases" are a simultaneous physiological investigation into both the ancient Greek and Hebrew cultures. This investigation concludes with a detailed analysis of the physiological significance of the Revaluation of all Values, Eternal Recurrence, the Overman and Dionysus as integral to curing the sickness of nihilism.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: La Culpabilite dans Les Chemins de la liberte

contributor:
Moyal, G.
French

subject: liberty

subject: engagement

subject: French and Francophone Language and Literature

abstract: Le but de cette these est de montrer comment la culpabilité fait obstacle a l'engagement, tel que Sartre le conçoit, dans Les Chemins de la liberte, et pourquoi Sartre pense que l'homme peut et doit pourtant franchir cet obstacle dans le mande réel.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: The Short Story: A Non-Definition

contributor:
Hutcheon, L.
English

subject:
English
English Language and Literature
English Language and Literature

abstract: The short story is defined, in this thesis, in terms of what it does rather than what it is. The need to transcend the limitations of brevity determines that the primary quality of the form is the necessity of generating a superior quality of response in the reader. Identifying this primary quality allows the critic a focus which enables him to examine the genre in terms of textual strategies specifically designed to generate reader response. This critical perspective is open-ended and non-deterministic, and thus frees short fiction criticism from its previously prescriptive and proscriptive tendencies, which is why the definition offered here is better termed a "non-definition".

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: The Politics of the Flesh: Phenomenology, Tragedy & Beyond

contributor:
Madison, G. R
Philosophy

subject: Philosophy Philosophy

abstract:
We reconsider the work of French phenomenologist Maurice Merleau-Ponty. And we argue for a non-foundational relation and solidarity between philosophy and the political within his work and the prose of the world.

If Merleau-Ponty begins by privileging philosophy over the political, his work does not end with the privileging of the political over philosophy. Rather the come and go of man's interrogation of the one by the other and of the other by the other of the other comes to dominate discussion. The question of the very space of this come and go, interrogation and discussion ultimately organizes Merleau-Ponty's work.

In that this space is neither object nor subject, all hitherto existing philosophy - phenomenology included - is called into question. If Marx and Hegel anticipate such radicalness, it is nonetheless through Saussure and Weber that Merleau-Ponty overcomes subjective thought or existing philosophy. This is not to privilege the object however. It is to turn back on Being or, as Merleau-Ponty says, the flesh. And this is not to privilege this Being or flesh. Man may be, as Pascal said, a reed. But man is an interrogative reed. It is man who interrogates the flesh that he might come to better terms with himself.

What man must ultimately comes to terms with is, as Madison has suggested, his Promethean Urge. Radical thought and radical action - philosophy and revolutionary politics - seek to steal back from the gods the fire of reason said to be man's by right and nature. Merleau-Ponty's radicalness lies beyond this presumption. He teaches that "[a]lienation is not simply privation of what was our own by natural right; and to bring it to an end, it will not suffice to steal what has been stolen, to give us back our due."

abstract: Master of Philosophy (MA)


title: Wittgenstein's Tractatus: Simple Objects and The Problem of Language

contributor:
Vorobej, Mark
Philosophy

subject: Philosophy Philosophy

abstract:
This thesis introduces a problem with language (i.e. how language is connected to the world) and explores a solution to this problem offered by Ludwig Wittgenstein in his Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus. It investigates two interpretations of simple objects in the Tractatus. It is argued that the 'combinatory' account of simple objects is superior.

This metaphysical base is then Wittgenstein's 'picture theory' of meaning reveal some common misunderstandings of especially as it applies to Russell's notion of perfect language'.

Finally, the thesis turns to 'logical form', the structural device used in the Tractatus to connect language and the world. It is argued that Wittgenstein's solution 'fits' the problem but that it may be superfluous in light of his own suggestion that if one understands the world aright then the original problem simply does not arise.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: The Wise One in the Prasannapadā

contributor:
Arapura, J. G.
Religious Studies

subject:
Religious Studies
Religion
Religion

abstract: This study examines the notion of the wise one in the Prasannapadā, a seventh century Indian Buddhist text, with the aim of clarifying the special position of those wise in the Buddhist way' in the context of Mādhyamika thought. It will be shown that the wise one, according to Nāgārjuna and candrakīrti, has cultivated an extraordinary awareness of the real, of man's propensity toward mistaking the epithets of ordinary language for the real, and of his own ability to appreciate the truth of things by overcoming the limitations of conventional thought.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Wittgenstein, McDowell and Therapeutic Philosophy

contributor:
Allen, Barry
Philosophy

subject: Philosophy Philosophy

abstract: Kripke argues via an interpretation of Wittgenstein that any speaker's claim to have meant something determinate by an utterance is vulnerable to a sceptical chal1enge. The rules pertaining to the meaning of one's words can be interpreted in an infinite number of ways, and there can thus be no objective fact about one's past mental history that can be invoked to authoritatively determine what one meant. McDowell states that the sceptical problem dissolves if we cease to look at the meaning of words on the model of interpreting signs, and instead see meaning as emerging from the communal practice of individuals who have been trained into reacting in customary ways to linguistic signs. This allows for an anti-sceptical or "therapeutic" position according to which there is no philosophical problem with respect to one's grasping the meaning of a speaker's words. We face a potential problem, however, with respect to how linguistic signs have determinate identities. This is because a sign can only be followed if it is recognized as a sign, but it can only be recognized as a sign if there is a custom of reacting to it in regularly patterned ways. The key to avoiding this paradox and preserving a therapeutic outlook is to see the forms of our language as being intimately bound up with our form of life in a conceptual feedback loop, to the effect that we reach a point at which explanations for why our words mean what they do come to an end. We simply do what we do, and observe that "this language-game is played." This implies that the fundamental level of our language-games is normative rather than being reducible to descriptive accounts of our sub-rational interactions with the world. Moreover, experience of ''the world" emerges only for one who has been initiated into a language. Hence, what we say is directly constrained by the way things are in the world, and common-sense objectivity can be comfortably accepted.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Bertrand Russell and the Pacifists in the First World War

contributor:
McCready, H.W.
History

subject: History History

abstract: This study examines several of the most formative years in the life of an exceptional man and offers a contribution to the history of pacifism, making use of extensive hitherto unused archival sources. By 1914 Bertrand Russell seemed to be settling into a distinguished academic career. He was a Liberal idealist, reasonably satisfied with his environment and his view of the future, but in some ways lacking self-confidence. The war overthrew Russell's rationality-ordered world. He found himself possessed by a passionate conviction that it was a consummate evil. The study first traces his protest against British intervention, his efforts to influence American opinion, and his work for the Union of Democratic Control during late 1914 and 1915. Meanwhile he came to terms (with difficulty) with his own anger at the statesmen he held responsible, forsook Liberalism for socialism, and developed a philosophy of life and politics that took account of impulse as a factor in human motivation. But his desire for a radical means to oppose the war remained unsatisfied until conscription came in early 1916, when he threw himself into the resistance of the No-Conscription Fellowship. Russell saw the conscientious objectors' struggle as the beginning of a movement that might end the war and bring a new and peaceful world. He gave himself totally to the cause, working enthusiastically wherever needed, and speaking out in a way that exposed him to considerable legal and personal harassment. His contribution in the difficult decisions faced by the leaders was great, and he was profoundly affected by the close working association. New light is shed on the problems of alternative service and the use of political pressure, and Russell is shown learning a new compassion and tolerance. The hopes of 1916 were not fulfilled and 1917 found Russell soberly undertaking the responsibility of the N.C.F. chairmanship. The Russian revolution revitalised pacifist hopes and radicalised Russell's thinking, but when the expected new world did not follow, he came to think the usefulness of those identified with pacifism was now limited. After anonymously assisting certain new voices of protest, he planned a return to philosophical work, which he believed to be the contribution now demanded from him toward the furthering of civilisation. A late and unwelcome prosecution for his pacifist activity intervened and it was in prison that he renewed his serious study of philosophy. We find Russell in 1918 with a more realistic view of human nature, with a new self-confidence, with hope and a serious purpose for the future but without facile optimism, and with a dedication to education and political vigilance which was not to leave him during his life.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: A General Level of Geography of Canda Course for Grade Nine

contributor:
Howarth, P. J.
Najm, S.
Geography

subject: Geography Geography

abstract: This project identifies a segment of the secondary school population which, in the author's opinion, is being ill-served by present day geography curricula. A philosophical argument is put forward in Chapter One as a model for new and more appropriate learning expressions. This introductory chapter is followed by four chapters of prepared student activities and guidelines for their implementation. Suggestions for additional activities are also provided. Chapter Two "What Can I Do Well?" is a diagnostic series of activities considered fundamental in a geography course. Chapters Three, Four and Five present a Geography of Canada based on the concept of working from the known to the unknown. Consequently, the titles are, "Our Neighbourhood", "Choosing a Place to Live in Canada" and "Canada and the world". Although these three chapters constitute an entire course, most of the activities therein could be successfully incorporated into existing courses. General conclusions and other summary remarks are contained in Chapter Six.

abstract: Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)


title: Standup Comediennes: Killing Us with Laughter

contributor:
Haas, Jack
Sociology

subject: Sociology comediennes

abstract: This study examines the social worlds of standup comediennes. Data were collected through participant observation in comedy clubs and in-depth interviews with comediennes. The focus is on their experiences as women in a male ordered occupation. A variety of objective and ideological constraints which women, as a minority, face, are analyzed. Attention is then paid to how they deal with these realities as well as their attempts to integrate their personal convictions into their performances. Problems which are specific to female comics and thus, gender-based, are analyzed from a feminist perspective. It is argued that since stand up comedy is based on control and since patriarchy, in its structure and process of socialization, denies women access to control, female standups are faced with varying degrees of resistance. This study suggests that acceptance of female comics is linked to cultural perceptions of women. Thus, resistance to female comics will disappear only if and when society accepts the idea of women sharing control with men.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: The Teaching of History at the Elementary Level Educating for Social Responsibility

contributor:
Synge, J.
Rempel, R.
History

subject: History History

abstract:
History remains one discipline that continues to concern itself with better understanding the motives and behaviour of human beings. In recent years elementary schools have faced widely publicized criticism for producing graduates who lack even the most basic knowledge of Canadian historical events, personalities, and places. Such press coverage has understandably deepened the concerns of many teachers, parents, and members of the general public about the adequacy of Ontario's elementary history curriculum. Guidelines introduced by the Ontario Ministry of Education since the early nineteen-seventies have largely failed to address this issue, by allowing local school boards to produce and implement their own curricula in the area of history.

At present, the deliberate study of history as a subject at the elementary level (ages 5-10, grades 1-5) is virtually non-existent. The most direct piece of evidence of this relatively recent trend has been the absence from many teachers' timetables and lesson plans of a reference to history in its own right. As misguided as such a generalized statement may seem, there is, in fact, strong evidence to support the accuracy of such a claim.

This topic was selected in order to examine the validity of the perceptions, observations, and criticisms of the way in which history is currently being taught in Ontario's elementary schools, and to discuss the implications. In addition, a survey (N=100) was conducted in order to explore the views of the members of the public on issues relating to the teaching of history to young children.

Children do have a real psychological need to touch even the most recent past, and teachers must be made more responsible for making it possible. The central value of history lies in its ability to allow children to see themselves and their own interests in the perspective of time. Clearly, that is one outcome of the study of history that is both meaningful and compelling.

abstract: Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)


title: The influence of task demands and experience on diagnostic accuracy: Investigating the assumptions of a default interventionist dual systems model

contributor:
Norman, Geoff
Psychology

subject:
Dual Process Model
Reasoning
Memory
Medical Diagnosis
Cognitive Psychology
Cognitive Psychology

abstract: There are various dual process models of human cognition. While many models of cognitive control propose processes that are selected exclusively or in combination, a default-interventionist model of reasoning assumes that processing occurs in serial stages. System 1 processes are believed to recruit unconscious memory retrieval processes by default and precede System 2 processes (Evans & Stanovich, 2013; Kahneman, 2011). System 1 processes are also considered to be overly sensitive to the automatic influences of the environment and thereby also to various cognitive biases and errors; hence System 1 is inferior. On the other hand System 2, which represent conscious logic and normative reasoning processes, is not considered susceptible to such automatic influences and thereby capable of overriding errors made through System 1 reasoning; hence System 2 is superior. This default-interventionist model has become highly influential in theories about best practices in medical education (Croskerry, 2009; 2003; Klein, 2005; Redelmeier, 2005), and has encouraged a view that increased conscious processing and reflective thought will improve performance. Such a view is in stark contrast to models of human memory in psychology that suggest contextual or automatic influences of the environment are not only critical for learning, but also critical for adaptive processing and the development of expertise (Yonelinas, 2002; Larsen & Roediger, 2012). In this thesis I investigate and critique several assumptions of the default-interventionist model by testing the relationship between processing time, reflective thought, experience and accuracy. The results of two large studies do not support basic assumptions presented in the literature and instead demonstrate that experience and knowledge are better predictors of performance.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Junior Science for General Education

contributor:
Humphreys, David
Blizzard, A.
Science

subject:
Science
Science and Mathematics Education
Science and Mathematics Education

abstract:
The focus of this project is the development of a unit of study in Science for junior students (ages 9-11), in the Elementary School and the assessment of its implementation. The actual participants in the programme were students at the grade five level.

There are two areas of student learning that have been identified as significant in science education: the cognitive-process skills, and the communicative skills. Through application and assessment of the proposed programme, "Junior Science For General Education", it was discovered that active "hands-on" participation resulted in an increased capacity for problem solving.

abstract: Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)


title: Relativism and the Demise of Epistemic Foundations

subject: Philosophy Philosophy

abstract:
The purpose of this thesis is to show that the anti-foundationalism of philosophers like Donald Davidson and Richard Rorty does not, as is commonly thought, entail relativism. Consequently, anti-foundationalists of this stripe are not vulnerable to the myriad arguments brought against the doctrine of relativism.

Both foundationalism and relativism, it is argued, suppose that there is something (direct awareness of concrete states of affairs, intuitive self evidence, etc, on the one hand; power, consensus, coherence, etc. on the other) which 'makes truths true'. The anti-foundationalist, on the contrary, maintains that nothing does so. Central to establishing the plausibility of this view are the arguments employed by Donald Davidson against the dualism of conceptual scheme(s) and empirical content--a distinction upon which both the foundationalism of the empiricist tradition, and conceptual relativism, rely.

abstract: Bachelor of Arts (BA)


title: Philosophical Hermeneutics and the Meaning of Authorial Intention

contributor:
Madison, G. B.
Philosophy

subject: Philosophy Philosophy

abstract:
This thesis is a hermeneutical investigation of the significance of the concept of authorial intention in relation to the ontological structure of the literary work of art. I argue that tensions arising from the way in which mainstream philosophical hermeneutics--represented here by Hans-Georg Gadamer and Paul Ricoeur--has sought to construe the role of an author's intention in relation to the world of meaning to which a literary work of art has the potential to give rise tend to obscure the ontological significance of the relationship between meaning and intention. I contend that if we are to understand the ontological significance of this relationship we must begin by articulating a hermeneutic ontology in terms of intentionality.

Chapter One begins with some preliminary considerations concerning some of the peculiar characteristics of the work of art that distinguish it from other products of human making. I then take up in detail the way in which Gadamer has sought to construe the ontological structure of the work of art within the context of his philosophical hermeneutics. Chapter Two examines Gadamer's analysis of the inseparability of interpretation from the moments in which the literary work of art is created and constituted. Through a critical examination of the way in which Gadamer articulates the interpretive dimension of artistic creation I suggest that Gadamer's understanding of the ontological structure of the work of art leaves little room for making sense of the essential moment of agency which is, I maintain, inseparable from artistic creation. In Chapter Three I begin with an analysis of the way Paul Ricoeur has attempted to articulate the relationship between artistic creation and the interpretive possibilities to which the work of art has the potential to give rise. I suggest that Ricoeurfs emphasis on the moment of agency involved in writing offers us some insight into a way we might recuperate the concept of authorial intention within the context of hermeneutic ontology. Pursuing a line of inquiry that Ricoeur's analysis vaguely intimates, I suggest that understanding the meaning of authorial intention must begin with an ontological analysis of intentionality.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Les Présupposés pragmatiques et sémantiques dans trois pièces de lonesco

contributor:
Leger, St. A.
French

subject: French

abstract:
Bien que la présupposition au une longue histoire en philosophie et en Iinguistique, le domaine littéraire n'en a pratiquement pas tenu compte, à l'exception de quelques articles et de quelques essais éparpillés. Toutefois, on trouve une pléthore d'exemples valables dans la littérature -- exemples qui servent à illustrer la nature du présupposé et qut donnent à réfléchir. Qui plus est, dans la littérature, on trouve les présupposés pragmaliques aussi bien que les présupposés sémantiques: chacun ayant son rôle a jouer et sa signification -- ce qui souligne l'imporlance des deux "types". Par contre, souvent dans la linguistique, il s'agit de débats entre sémanticiens et pragmaticiens qui semblent viser à éliminer I'analyse de l'autre "type", ou au moins à réduire son importance.

Réciproquement, la nature du présupposé permet diverses manoeuvres a l'auteur qui, conscient des principes du présupposé, peut les respecter ou les rejeter. Chez Ionesco, surtout dans La Cantatrice Chauve, La Leçon et Les Chaises, il s'agit d'un jeu dans lequel il juxtapose les présupposés opératoires et inopératoires. Jouer avec Ie présupposé, dont la nature mȇme évoque un sens de stabilité, c'est jouer avec la stabilité et les certitudes du lecteur. Les infractions fréquentes -- mais non pas constantes -- obligent Ie lecteur à réfléchir, à considérer l'objectif ou Ie rôle d'une lelle infraction, et à procéder à une inférence. La nature du présupposé permet à Ionesco, donc, d'accomplir ses buts principaux -- de faire penser et de remettre en question nos cerititudes -- tout en jouant et en provoquant Ie rire. En effet, il s'agit d'une exploitation particulière de la fonction poétique par Ionesco: derrière le jeu se retrouve un message sérieux. On comprend Ie message seulement à travers ce qui est ludique. Remarquant comment Ionesco exploite la présupposition, on commence à la considérer en tant que partie intégrante de tout un continuum. Les présupposés pragmatiques, qui renvoient à I'énonciation, et les présupposés sémantiques, qui renvoient à I'énoncé, sont assez stables, invisibles même, quand ils sont opératoires. Dès qu'ils cessent d'être opératoires, on commence à en prendre note: l'énoncé endosse un caractère particulier et on procède à une inférence. II est vrai qu'une infraction d'un présupposé n'est pas nécessaire pour provoquer une inférence; toutefois, c'est une manière efficace de guider Ie lecteur dans une telle direction. On constate que la communication entre les deux domaines -- linguistique et littéraire -- peut être très féconde. Tout en tenant compte de la spécificité du discours littéraire, on peut s'inspirer des théories de l'une et de la richesse de I'autre pour atteindre une meilleure compréhension et d'une notion linguistique et d'une oeuvre littéraire. Il est clair qu'une réciprocité entre les deux domaines est non seulement souhaitable mais fructueuse.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: The Participation of Marginalized Populations in Health Services Planning and Decision Making

contributor:
Abelson, Julia
N.Lavis, John
Dunn, James R.
Health Policy

subject: community participation

subject: marginalized populations

subject: Community-based Research

subject: Community Engagement

subject: Community Health

subject: Health Services Research

subject: Inequality and Stratification

subject: Knowledge Translation

subject: Quantitative, Qualitative, Comparative, and Historical Methodologies

subject: Social and Cultural Anthropology

subject: Work, Economy and Organizations

subject: Community-based Research

abstract:
Community participation has been identified as a key facilitator of community health among marginalized populations in international health statements. However, knowledge gaps in the community participation literature regarding marginalized populations has been attributed to the lack of consistent definitions of community participation, ambiguity about the features of community participation initiatives (e.g., methods and strategies) that are appropriate for marginalized populations, and limitations of existing community participation frameworks in specifying the ways and means in which different marginalized populations might effectively participate, as well as in recognizing that community participation is highly contextual and situational. All of these factors have made it difficult to draw broader conclusions about the impact of participation methods and strategies for marginalized populations from evaluations of participation initiatives.

The overall purpose of this thesis is to better understand how to involve marginalized populations in the planning and decision-making for local health services. First, a critical interpretive synthesis (CIS) was conducted to better understand the role of community development principles used in community participation initiatives with marginalized populations and the factors contributing to the influence of the principles in enabling the participation of these populations. Second, an in-depth comparative case study of four community participation initiatives in Ontario Community Health Centres (CHCs)—which are primary health care organizations serving 74 high-risk communities throughout the Province of Ontario—was conducted to identify the core features of participation initiatives with marginalized populations, and reflect on the particular challenges of engaging marginalized populations. Third, four focus groups were held at four Ontario CHCs to examine the role of frameworks as mechanisms for translating knowledge about community participation practice with marginalized populations. Overall, this thesis broadens our understanding of community participation with marginalized populations in the context of local health services planning and decision making. Specifically, this thesis contributes a theoretical basis for future research and provides practical knowledge for planning and evaluating community participation initiatives with marginalized populations.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: The Ethical Content of Metaethics

contributor:
Najm, S.M.
Philosophy

subject: metaethics ethics naturalist non-naturalist non-cognitivist Philosophy Philosophy

abstract: This thesis is a critical examination of' the claim that metaethics is ethically neutral and that it has no ethical content. Broadly speaking, I have dealt with each of the three different categories of metaethical theory - naturalist, nonnaturalist and non-cognitivist. Chapter I is an outline of the differences between ethics and metaethics and a discussion of the relation between the two in the case of a non-naturalist metaethical theory (i.e. that of G.E. Moore in Principia Ethica.) Chapter II is an examination of the various possible interpretations of the claim of ethical neutrality in an attempt to see what is being claimed and how the claim can be best formulated. Chapter III is first an explanation of the non-neutrality of Naturalistic metaethical theories and secondly a critique of the fundamental presupposition (i.e. that all naturalistic theories are false) of those who claim neutrality. Chapter IV is a discussion of further problems of and prospects for the construction of a neutral metaethic. These problems which burden even the non-cognitivist, while perhaps not insurmountable, indicate that any truly neutral metaethic will be so only at the cost of being irrelevant to ethics.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: The Accuracy of Numerically Controlled Machine Tools

contributor:
Tlusty, J.
Mechanical Engineering

subject:
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering

abstract:
The accuracy of work on N.C. machine tools is much more affected by weight, clamping and thermal deformations as well as by variations in accuracy throughout the entire working zone than that of machine tools using other modes of operation.

It is therefore very important to precisely define the concept of accuracy and the methods of testing and evaluating it.

In this thesis the shortcomings and even possible fallacies of the classic form of accuracy evaluation procedure are discussed, together with an appreciation of recent significant contributions to the field which utilise modern instrumentation and high frequency response transducers in sound and informative experimental procedures.

A new system is developed where the problem of formulating a comprehensive and meaningful machine tool accuracy capability statement is practically solved by directly relating the accuracy of the machine tool to the accuracy of a workpiece machined on it. This is achieved by deriving a tolerance law applicable to the evaluation of machine tool translative deviations where the law relates to the practical system of tolerancing a part dimension as well as to the usual mode of use of an N.C. machine.

An extensive of the basic tolerance law provides for a comprehensive statement of accuracy achievable throughout any defined two-or three-dimensional working zone of a machine tool. For every type of machine tool configuration there is a finite (minimum) number of translative deviation measurements that is required to be evaluated only along well defined lines located at extreme offsets of the tool with respects to each moving member of the machine.

Additionally the procedure for including in the machine tool capability statement the adverse "further" effects of weight, clamping and thermal deformations is outlined.

While it is comparatively straight-forward to formulate tests such that the effect of weight and clamping deformations may be defined, the problem of correctly specifying a thermal test cycle warranted a rather more extended study.

It is shown how the correct identification and classification of the type of heat source affecting a machine tool's structural components leads to rather precise knowledge of the particularly affected translative deviation measurements. The design of the test cycle, the general laws governing the specification of the tests and the test procedure, are developed by reference to many practically obtained measurements complemented by computational studied of simplifies and simulated machine tool structures.

Two computational procedures are developed for the calculation of steady-state and transient temperature fields together with the resulting thermal deformations: a lumped-mass/time-continuous technique the solution of which leads to an eigenvalue problem, and the finite-element approach to the problem. In each case a step by step solution technique is outlined, and a Fortran IV computer program listing is included in the Appendix for the finite-element analysis of two-dimensional structures using triangular elements.

Finally, an investigation is made of new concepts of errors of an axis of rotation. The experimental technique results in the generation of a polar trace on an oscilloscope screen, the form of which relates directly to a Talymonogram which could be obtained from a machine specimen if there were no unwanted disturbances of the cutting process. In this way, an exact picture of the influences of spindle rotation errors on the workpiece accuracy is obtained by an idle run test at normal spindle speeds without machining. The design of a comprehensive electronic instrument is included in the Appendix together with details of associated instrumentation.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Imagination as Method: Section xii, Part II of Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations

contributor:
Simpson, E.
Philosophy

subject: Wittgenstein Philosophy Philosophy

abstract:
No Abstract Provided.

Master of Arts (MA)


title: Defect Localization using Dynamic Call Tree Mining and Matching and Request Replication: An Alternative to QoS-aware Service Selection

contributor:
Wassyng, Alan
Down, Douglas G.
Computing and Software

subject:
Defect Localization
Call Graph Mining and Matching
Feature Location
Service Selection
Service Oriented Architecture
Other Computer Sciences
Software Engineering
Other Computer Sciences

abstract:
This thesis is concerned with two separate subjects; (i) Defect localization using tree mining and tree matching, and (ii) Quality-of-service-aware service selection; it is divided into these parts accordingly.

In the first part of this thesis we present a novel technique for defect localization which is able to localize call-graph-affecting defects using tree mining and tree matching techniques. In this approach, given a set of successful executions and a failing execution and by following a series of analyses we generate an extended report of suspicious method calls. The proposed defect localization technique is implemented as a prototype and evaluated using four subject programs of various sizes, developed in Java or C. Our experiments show comparable results to similar defect localization tools, but unlike most of its counterparts, we do not require the availability of multiple failing executions to localize the defects. We believe that this is a major advantage, since it is often the case that we have only a single failing execution to work with. Potential risks of the proposed technique are also investigated.

In the second part of this thesis we present an alternative strategy for service selection in service oriented architecture, which provides better quality services for less cost. The proposed Request Replication technique replicates a client’s request over a number of cheap, low quality services to gain the required quality of service. Following this approach, we also present a number of recommendations about how service providers should advertise non-functional properties of their services.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Probabilistic Graphical Models for Prognosis and Diagnosis of Breast Cancer

contributor:
Nedialkov, Ned
Computing and Software

subject:
Artificial Intelligence
Statistical Machine Learning
Probabilistic Graphical Models
Manifold Learning
Microarray Data
Breast Cancer
Other Computer Engineering
Other Computer Engineering

abstract:
One in nine women is expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer during her life. In 2013, an estimated 23, 800 Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 5, 000 will die of it. Making decisions about the treatment for a patient is difficult since it depends on various clinical features, genomic factors, and pathological and cellular classification of a tumor.

In this research, we propose a probabilistic graphical model for prognosis and diagnosis of breast cancer that can help medical doctors make better decisions about the best treatment for a patient. Probabilistic graphical models are suitable for making decisions under uncertainty from big data with missing attributes and noisy evidence.

Using the proposed model, we may enter the results of different tests (e.g. estrogen and progesterone receptor test and HER2/neu test), microarray data, and clinical traits (e.g. woman's age, general health, menopausal status, stage of cancer, and size of the tumor) to the model and answer to following questions. How likely is it that the cancer will extend in the body (distant metastasis)? What is the chance of survival? How likely is that the cancer comes back (local or regional recurrence)? How promising is a treatment? For example, how likely metastasis is and how likely recurrence is for a new patient, if certain treatment e.g. surgical removal, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, or chemotherapy is applied. We can also classify various types of breast cancers using this model.

Previous work mostly relied on clinical data. In our opinion, since cancer is a genetic disease, the integration of the genomic (microarray) and clinical data can improve the accuracy of the model for prognosis and diagnosis. However, increasing the number of variables may lead to poor results due to the curse of dimensionality dilemma and small sample size problem. The microarray data is high dimensional. It consists of around 25, 000 variables per patient. Moreover, structure learning and parameter learning for probabilistic graphical models require a significant amount of computations. The number of possible structures is also super-exponential with respect to the number of variables. For instance, there are more than 10^18 possible structures with just 10 variables.

We address these problems by applying manifold learning and dimensionality reduction techniques to improve the accuracy of the model. Extensive experiments using real-world data sets such as METRIC and NKI show the accuracy of the proposed method for classification and predicting certain events, like recurrence and metastasis.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Husserl and Rorty: A Common Ground

contributor:
Madison, G.B.
Philosophy

subject: Husserl Cartesianism Descartes Philosophy Philosophy

abstract:
No abstract provided.

Master of Arts (MA)


title: Freedom, Rationality and the Explanation of Religious Action: A Critical Examination of Martin Hollis' Philosophical Thoughts on Social Action

contributor:
Greenspan, Louis
Religious Studies

subject: rationality positivist conventionalist reductionism Religion Religion

abstract: This thesis examines the methodological context, nature, strengths and weaknesses of an unconventional approach to the explanation of human action: 'the argument from rationality.' The study focuses on Martin Hollis' innovative presentation of this alternative method of social science. The argument from rationality proposes that in the explanation of human actions consideration must be given to an asymmetry in modes of explanation: nonrational actions are subject to causal analyses, but rational actions are their own explanations. A rational action, that is, is a free action; and the social scientist is under a methodological obligation to discover whether an action is free prior to formulating a causal explanation. The argument from rationality suits the needs of students of the social scientific study of religion. With its development and legitimation two points of antagonism between the scientific and the religious worldviews are ameliorated. The argument from rationality directly curbs the reductive thrust of scientific accounts of religion by giving methodological voice to the freedom of will asserted by the great religious traditions. Indirectly, the epistemological framework of the argument indicates that reference to the transcendent is a conceptual a priori of 'talk of religion,' just as rational human agency is for 'talk of human action.' The thesis has three parts. First, the parameters of the problem of human freedom are established through discussion of the two sociologies conflict. the positivism-humanism debate, and the struggle of determinists and libertarians. Second, the epistemological and methodological legitimacy of the argument from rationality is argued through a critique of positivist and conventionalist alternatives and the specification of the analytical constituents of Hollis' qualified idealist perspective. Third, the argument is applied to the debate over reductionism in religious studies and defended against the charges of vacuity and decisionism by proposing that the rationality of an action is a question of 'degrees' and hence open to empirical investigation.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Development of a THGEM Imaging Detector with Delay Line Readout

contributor:
Byun, Soo-Hyun
Medical Physics

subject:
imaging
THGEM
delay line
gas detector
X-rays
neutrons
Engineering Physics
Instrumentation
Nuclear
Other Physics
Engineering Physics

abstract: Position sensitive detectors represent a class of particle detectors widely used in high-energy physics, astrophysics, biophysics and medicine for imaging the spatial distribution of various radioactive sources. In recent years, a new class of gas based detectors, so-called micropattern gas detectors (MPGDs), has emerged. While modern MPGDs rival solid state detectors in terms of spatial and temporal resolution, their cost of production is significantly lower. A Thick Gaseous Electron Multiplier (THGEM) imaging detector, with a two-dimensional delay line readout, has been constructed as a concept for a large area imaging detector with reasonable spatial resolution. The delay line based THGEM imaging detector is robust, easy to manufacture and cost effective alternative to direct readout techniques which frequently employ a large number of channels. Featuring an active area of 40 x 40 mm2, the prototype has been constructed using two 0.4 mm THGEMs and successfully operated in a low pressure, propane based, gas mixture. Two sets of orthogonal electrodes, connected to individual delay lines, serve as a two-dimensional anode readout. Adjacent electrodes are separated by approximately 3.4 ns of time delay and allow the interaction position to be calculated by measuring the time difference between delay line output signals corresponding to a common axis. Using modern field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), a time-to-digital (TDC) data acquisition (DAQ) system has been developed. The TDC DAQ performs the position reconstruction algorithm and is capable of continuous event rates up to 1.8 MHz. The imaging capabilities of the detector have been assessed using a collimated alpha source and a wide X-ray beam. Under these aforementioned conditions, the detector was able to successfully resolve 1 mm diameter holes spaced 3 mm apart. With higher operating pressures, and using Xenon based gas mixture, it is expected the imaging detector should achieve sub-mm spatial resolution. The investigations presented in this thesis serve as a framework for the development of future THGEM imaging detectors.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Spinoza and neuropsychology: a comparison of theories of emotion, methodology and ontology

contributor:
Bristol, J.
Philosophy

subject: ethics neuropsychology Spinoza

abstract: This paper deals with the mind-body problem in Spinoza's Ethics and in neuro- or physiological psychology. The thesis is twofold: a) that the psychology offered by Spinoza has much in common with neuropsychology; b) that Spinoza's methodology is in some ways superior to the predominant neuro-scientific one. I also argue, though not conclusively, the superiority of Spinoza's ontology. The discussion is grounded in a comparison of the respective psychologies of emotion.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: John 20:30-31 and the Purpose of the Fourth Gospel

contributor:
Sanders, E. P.
Religious Studies

subject:
Fourth Gospel
Jesus
faith
Biblical Studies
Religion

abstract:
The thesis examines the relationship between John 20:30-31 and the purpose of the Fourth Gospel. It argues that the passage expresses a purpose which is reflected in both the structure and the content of the Gospel as a whole. This purpose is to convince the reader that faith in Jesus as the Christ, Son of God, can and indeed should be based on the signs as recorded in the Gospel. In order to achieve this purpose, the Gospel uses the following arguments: the reader is seeking salvation; salvation is attained through faith in Jesus; faith in Jesus can be based on his signs; even the reader who has not seen Jesus' signs himself can "witness" them through the agency of the Gospel. The thesis demonstrates where and how the Gospel develops these arguments.

The thesis is intended to contribute to the discussion of several issues which are central to Johannine studies. It examines an aspect of the issue of the purpose of the Gospel which has not been the subject of extensive scholarly attention, namely the way in which the author(s) of the Gospel meant their document to function in the lives of its readers. In doing so, it discusses in detail three of the christological titles, "Christ", "Son of God", and "Prophet", and sheds light on the ways in which the Gospel demonstrates the appropriateness of these titles to Jesus. In addition, it argues against the interpretations of the term sēmeion as used in 20:30-31 and of the Gospel's view of a faith based on signs. Finally, the thesis offers some suggestions concerning the identity of the intended reader of the Gospel.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: General Equilibrium in a Spatial Economy

contributor:
Papageorgiou, G. J.
Geography

subject: Geography Geography

abstract:
This dissertation examines the theory of general economic equilibrium in a simple spatial context. Two fundamental issues are confronted. First, the problem of reconciling the technical apparatus of general equilibrium theory with a geographical setting is solved by reinterpreting the role of transportation in the economy. Second, the implications of the theory for the behaviour of transportation functions are formally investigated.

The analysis demonstrate that, in the postulated spatial structure, the required behaviour of transportation relationships contradicts empirical evidence. This result is true for both consumption and production sectors, and hold for any spatial configuration of the economy which admits the same interpretation of transportation.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: The Theory of Items: Items, Nonexistence, and Contexts

contributor:
Griffin, N.J.
Philosophy

subject:
items
contexts
Russell
Quine
mathematical logic
Philosophy
Philosophy

abstract:
This thesis is divided into two parts: the Theory of Items, and the Theory of Contexts. The latter is a further elaboration of the former.

In the first chapter I argue against the classical doctrine of ontological-referential theory. This classical position may be represented by Russell's and by Quine's position on nonexistent objects.

The first position that I propose to reject is the view that in order to say anything true about an object its name or description must have an actual reference. This view is represented by Russell's proposition *14.21: t-:Ψ (rx)(øx) .->. E!(rX)(øx) on which Russell writes: "This proposition shows that if any true statement can be made about (1x)(øx), then (1x)(øx) must exist". (Principia Mathematica)

The Theory of Items rejects this view and states that whether a statement about a certain object is true or is false does not depend on the ontic status of that object. Thus, consequently, a true statement about nonexistent objects can be made (without making a distinction between a secondary and a primary occurrence as Russell did).

The second position that is to be rejected is the view that nonexistent objects are mere nothings. This is represented by one of Quine's theorems that nonexistent objects are simply empty sets. *197 t- r -(Eβ) (α) (α=β. ≡ ø) ->. (1α)ø = 9¬

(Mathematical Logic). For the Theory of Items, nonexistent objects are not nothings, they are somethings for they can be said to have any property whatsoever. Thus if we may have a set that contains existent objects, then we may also have a set that contains nonexistent objects. Nonexistent objects are just as much 'items' as existent ones; this is the reason why I call the theory being proposed here the 'Theory of Items' and not the Theory of Objects. The word 'item' is used instead of 'objects' to indicate the ontic neutrality of the matter that we are talking about.

In the second chapter I will present various examples of the classical view and I will try reply to their arguments in the light of the Theory of Items explained previously.

In the third chapter I will discuss the Theory of Contexts. I will argue that semantical features (truth and falsity) should be assigned to various statements about various items (existent or nonexistent). I maintain that the assignment of a truth value is very much context-dependent. The characteristics of contexts and various rules that iv. govern them will be discussed. More attention will be given to the fictional items and fictional contexts for no doubt they present some peculiar problems. For example if a fictional item x in a story C1 has a feature that-p, and the same item in a different story C2 has a feature that--~p, then can we validly conclude that the fictional item x is both p and ~p? My argument is based on the analysis of contexts. Only by presenting a satisfactory theory of contexts can that problem (and many other paradoxes) be solved.

This thesis is far from being complete. There are some important topics that I do not discuss (due to page and time limitation). For example the problems of: significance and nonsignificance; whether we should take a three value logic (by incorporating significance as the third value) instead of the classical two value system; consistencies; and a possible formal theory for the Theory of Contexts. The last two of these problems are stated very briefly in the Appendix.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Translating Nietzsche's Ubermensch

contributor:
Allen, Barry
Philosophy

subject: Philosophy Philosophy

abstract: This thesis is an attempt to give a clear and concise characterization of Friedrich Nietzsche's concept of the Ubermensch. Although this figure appears almost exclusively within the pages of Thus Spoke ZarathuSlli, what the tibermensch represents can be seen throughout Nietzsche's published writings. And yet, an accurate and textually faithful account of the Ubermensch is nearly impossible to find amongst Nietzschean scholarship. Though we shall examine certain requirements such as self-examination, independence, and the Death of God, this thesis will focus on the attributes of creativity, courage, and the necessity of a contesting spirit in the cultivation of the Ubermensch.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: War in the Soul: Romans 7: 7-25 in the Context of Palestinian and Alexandrian Judaism

subject: Philosophy Religion

abstract:
The question of Paul's view of the nature of man has interested biblical scholars for the past 150 years. Of particular concern has been the degree to which Paul's heritage from Hebrew-speaking Judaism may have been altered by the admixture of Greek ideas. One of the passages used to measure this factor is Rom. 7:7-25. in which many anthropological terms and concepts appear. The presence of Hellenistic ideas in this passage has been both confidently affirmed and vigorously denied.

The present investigation attempts to resolve this question by a careful exegesis of the passage against the background of a comprehensive survey of the literature of Hebrew-speaking and Greek-speaking Judaism, particularly with respect to the future of man and the origin and nature of sin. References to individual human destiny are included to the extent that they throw light on whether the immaterial part of man was seen to be distinct from the physical part.

The exegesis of Rom. 7:7-25 in this context shows that Paul does hold to a dualism of soul and body, or mind and flesh, at least in the passage in question. The opposition between the mind or "inner man" and the flesh or "members" is expressed as a war in which the "I" or subject is taken captive and can be delivered only through Christ.

No claim is made that an identical meaning is to be found in parallel passages using the same terminology or that Paul had a consistent scheme of the nature of man throughout his writings.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: The Economics of International Migration: A Simulation Study

contributor:
Denton, P.T.
Economics

subject: Economics Economics

abstract:
This dissertation develops a simulation model for exploring the implications of the integration of economic activity and demographic behaviour and for evaluating the consequences of changes in population variables in different economic and demographic situations. A two country macro-model is specified using different assumptions regarding the conditions of the two nations. The effects of given population changes, especially the fertility and migration propensities, in one country on the demographic and macroeconomic variables in both countries are given emphasis in the analysis.

The analysis is built around a simulation model that uses actual demographic data to create two hypothetical countries having economic and demographic relations. The model then conducts experiments with these two countries by tracing the effects of specific changes in the economic and demographic variables on the overall economic and demographic characteristics of each country over time. In this way, the model provides valuable insights into the patterns of economic-demographic relationships as well as the construction of economic-demographic models for particular countries.

The study is conducted in two parts. The first part consists of a survey of recent developments in trade theory and experience with economic-demographic modelling, and outlines the theoretical approach to the construction of the dynamic economic-demographic model to be used in the second part of the study. The second part then employs the model in the analysis of the effects of changes in population and economic variables on the two-country trading system.

The basic results of the analysis provide insights regarding the effects of changes in fertility-rates, international migration propensities, production patterns, factor-endowments, the distributions of labour skills, and several other characteristics on such variables as per-capita income, the supplies of labour and capital, the total population, wage rates, imports and exports, and net migration rates, as well as the differences in the behaviour of these variables between the two countries over long periods of time.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: The Trinity and Creation: Augustine and Boff on Monarchy, Governance and Dominion

contributor:
Widdicombe, Peter J.
Religious Studies

subject: Philosophy Religion Philosophy

abstract: This dissertation explores the relationship between the doctrine of the Trinity and the doctrine of creation by examining the two predominant approaches to the doctrine of the Trinity - the classical model and the social model. A representative theologian of each approach is discussed in terms of their account of the divine world relationship. The project has two parts. In the first part, I examine Leonardo Boffs liberationist-ecological critiques of the classical doctrine of the Trinity and the traditional concept of divine creation and governance. I also analyze his own proposal for a alternative social doctrine of the Trinity that reflects the need for ecological justice. I then analyze Augustine's classical doctrine of the Trinity, paying special attention to how the doctrine of the Trinity influences his account of creation and providential governance in Genesis 1, and whether it is susceptible to Bott's critiques. Then, I consider how the Augustinian understanding of humanity's dominion over the creation is conceived in light of his trinitarian doctrine of creation. From this analysis of Boff and Augustine the limitations and the potential explanatory power of the classical and social understandings of the Trinity are articulated and explored as they relate to contemporary concerns in ecological theology.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Eric Voegelin's Changing Account of Greek Rationality: Aristotelian Noesis Before and After the Platonic Metaxy

contributor:
P., Zdravko Planinc
Religious Studies

subject: Religion Religion

abstract:
Eric Voegelin's article "Reason: The Classic Experience" (1974) is perhaps his best known account of the Platonic-Aristotelian experience and symbolization of reason. Many interpreters have not recognized, however, that the account of the experiential origin and nature of reason developed in this work is significantly different than that which is found in The New Science of Politics (1952) and the first three volumes of Order and History (1956-1957).

In this thesis I show that there is an important change in Voegelin's account of Greek rationality. I illustrate the change by comparing Voegelin' s account of Aristotelian noesis in The New Science of Politics and Plato and Aristotle with the account developed in Anamnesis (1966). I also develop an hypothesis to account for why the change came about. I suggest that Voegelin's reassessment of the nature and origin of the classic experience of reason is due principally to an important change in his understanding of Plato's philosophical anthropology.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Five Kinds of Freedom: Northrop Frye's Theory of Symbols and Thich Nhat Hanh's Old Path White Clouds

contributor:
Adamson, Joseph
English

subject:
English Language and Literature
English Language and Literature

abstract: I use Northrop Frye's theory of symbols (from Anatomy of Criticism) as a methodological guide for my literary analysis of Thich Nhat Hanh's Old Path White Clouds: Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha. I also offer a significant interpretation of Frye's theory of symbols and its five phases of poetic language. Finally I compare the conceptions of freedom that Frye offers with conceptions of freedom that Nhat Hanh offers. I come to several important conclusions. The language of objective reality, though essential, is limited even as a means of relating to reality. Nhat Hanh offers a genuine vision of an ideology that respects human dignity. The vision of spiritual liberation that Frye articulates in the theory of symbols is clarified by Nhat Hanh's conception of mindfulness. Literature and its conventions help bring readers into contact with reality. It does this by inspiring a cognitive receptiveness to patterns of experience. The human imagination is a trinity of creation, concern, and interpenetration. The formal phase of the theory of symbols emphasizes the creative aspect of the imagination, the mythical emphasizes the concerned, and the anagogic emphasizes the interpenetrative. What are created at the formal level are forms which include images, narrative transformations, metaphors, and types. These are the building blocks of perception. In the mythical phase, all of literature speaks to us of the primary concerns of human beings, which are, at the physical level, concerns we share with animals, and, at the spiritual level, concerns that are distinctly human but that are metaphorically related to our physical concerns. In the anagogic phase, the full power of the human verbal imagination is unleashed. To understand this power, we need to rely on Buddhist terms such as emptiness, interbeing, and interpenetration. Apocalypse is the typical genre of the anagogic phase.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Seize the Day

contributor: Dr. Carolyn Eyles, Dr. Jack Richardson, Dr. Alice Schutz

subject: Geography Geography

abstract:
The focus of this project is on self-learning through mentorship. The purpose of the project is to introduce teachers to the concept of self-learning by means of a catalyst such as a hike. The hike serves as the key that unlocks the door to reveal the multiple intelligences found within each student.

An example of a final report based on the self-learning through mentorship model has been included in the project. This report, A Field Guide to the Niagara Escarpment, is based on the transformation theory and methodology. It also supports the expectations for students established in the various Ministry documents.

Students are encouraged to share their final reports. By sharing their ideas with each other and their mentors, students will be encouraged to develop higher thinking skills.

The "outside" classroom is an environment where self-learning can take place. Students must be able to interact with the outside world in order to get a better understanding of the topic they are studying. Classroom walls only serve as physical barriers to this learning. Self-learning through mentorship can be an effective educational tool for all grades.

I hope that this project will be of use both to those who wish to mount courses in curriculum and teaching and to anyone who is interested in introducing himself or herself to this important area of self-learning through mentorship.

abstract: Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)


title: Nietzsche's Rejection of Transcendent Truth

contributor:
Ajzenstat, S.
Philosophy

subject: Philosophy Philosophy

abstract: In this thesis I address Nietzsche's seemingly paradoxical claim that all truth is in fact illusion. I begin with an examination of the claims in On Truth and Lies in a Nonmoral Sense, where the transcendent truth is rejected on the grounds that it is self-contradictory impossibility. However, if this is the case, then how is it possible for Nietzsche to make such a claim? Docs he not implicitly exclude his own account from this critique? To investigate this matter, I offer an interpretation of his critique of the history of Western morality since the time of Socrates and how it relates to what he terms the human, all-too-human origins of the concept of truth. This leads to a discussion of his claims concerning the essentially perspectival and interpretive nature of human knowing. I argue that this view of knowledge. in which truth and life are viewed as one and the same, saves Nietzsche from the charge of internal inconsistency.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Neutron Scattering Studies of the Dynamics of Imperfect Crystals

contributor:
Brockhouse, B. N.
Physics

subject: Physics Physics

abstract:
The effect of random mass disorder on the vibrational properties of simple crystals has been investigated by inelastic neutron scattering. Phonon frequencies and natural widths have been measured in alloy crystals of copper and gold containing 1, 3, and 9 atomic percent gold, in order to study the vibrational properties of the heavy gold atoms in the predominantly copper host lattices. Similar measurements have been made on a crystal of Ni(55%)Pd(45%) in order to investigate the nature of the atomic vibrations in a crystal in which the concentration of the heavy (Pd) atoms is very high. Detailed discussions are given to interpret the results in the light of existing theories.

The phonon dispersion curves of several copper-nickel alloys have been measured as part of a research program on the lattice dynamics of transition metals and their alloys.

An experiment to measure the phonon dispersion curves of silver has also been carried out.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Covering Dimension and the Modeling Distribution

contributor:
Lintz, R. G.
Mathematics

subject: Mathematics Mathematics

abstract: This thesis deals with paracompact spaces with the covering dimension of Lebesgue. A paracompact Hausdorff space with finite covering dimension is characterized by sequences of covers, as an inverse limit of finite dimensional metric spaces, and in terms of a single finite dimensional metric space. In connection with non-deterministic mathematics we introduce the modeling distribution and it is proved (under suitable assumptions) that a modeling distribution preserves paracompactness, complete paracompactness, strong paracompactness, compactness, and final compactness, and lowers covering dimension.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Classical Studies and the Elemenary School Curriculum

contributor: Dr. Catherine Beattie, Dr. William Slater

subject: Classics Classics

abstract:
The focus of this project is the development of a unit of study in Classical Studies for primary students (ages 6-8) in the Elementary School.

In the first three chapters, pedagogical concerns are explored as the writer examines her philosophy of education, the psychological base of methodologies used and the context in which she is teaching.

Chapters four and five look briefly at educational systems of Ancient Greece which have influenced Western education for more than two millenia, the tradition of classical Studies in the education system and the changes which Archaeology brought to Classical Scholarship in the last century.

The final chapter describes a unit of study for primary students which is a culmination of my pedagogical beliefs, writings of a classical author and a study of the social aspects of life in Ancient Greece.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Seeking the Vision of MafijusrI at Mount Wutai

contributor:
Shinohara, Koichi
Religious Studies

subject: religion Religion Religion

abstract: In the Tang Dynasty (618-906) Mount Wutai emerged as the foremost sacred place in China. Scholars such as Birnbaum (1984, 1986) and Stevenson (1996) have attributed its development as a sacred site in this period to assertions made in contemporaneous Buddhist literature that a prominent bodhisattva appeared there. It was in this context, the argument follows, that the vision-tales discussed in this thesis-recounting the meeting of pilgrims to the holy mountain with MaiijusrT-played an instrumental role in establishing Wutai as a sacred center. This thesis will demonstrate that although MaiijusrI's alleged manifestations contributed to Mount Wutai's eminence, this was not the sole grounds on which its holy status was asserted. The paper will show that there were multiple ways in which scriptural and story literature framed the fiveterraced mountain as a holy Buddhist site. Mount Wutai was alleged to be a place of particular numinousness not only because it was a place where MaiijusrT entered the human realm, but also because it was a site where humans had exited the temporal and spatial realm and entered into manifestation monasteries. By examining four Guang Qingliang Zhuan narratives which frame the mountain's holiness in this way-the record of the monk: Wuzhuo's entry into the Banruo Si (T51 1111b24-1112c), Shenying's entry into the manifested Fahua Yuan (T51 1112c 17-1113 a 14), the record of the monk: Daoyi' s entry into the manifested Jinge Si (T51: II13aI5-1114a5) and the record of the monk: Fazhao's entry into the manifested Zhulin Si (T51: 1114a6-1116a22)-the thesis demonstrates that the terms on which Mount Wutai' s sacred status was created is even more nuanced than much of contemporary scholarship would suggest.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Kierkegaard's Understanding of Socrates

contributor:
Najm, Sami
Philosophy

subject: Philosophy Philosophy

abstract:
What does Socrates represent to Kierkegaard? And what can account for this devout Christian's tpalpitating' enthusiasm and respect for a Pagan thinker? In this thesis I attempt to provide an explanation for this unexpected enthusiasm by clarifying the nature of Kierkegaard's understanding of Socrates.

My thesis contains the following central claims. A) There are two distinct conceptions of Socrates in Kierkegaard's thought. Socrates is at times no more than a symbol of Idealism. But Kierkegaard also understood Socrates to be an historical figure in his own right. The tactual' Socrates, as Kierkegaard refers to him in The Concept of Irony, is an understanding of Socrates that develops throughout the course of Kierkegaard's work until Socrates emerges as an authority figure second only to Christ himself. B) This conception of an tactual' Socrates is only partially developed in The Concept of Irony and must be augmented by piecing together remarks scattered throughout Kierkegaard's work. C) The tactual' Socrates represents a transitional stage between a Humanist philosophy, represented by Idealism in particular, and Christianity. Essentially, the tactual' Socrates prepares one for the adoption of the Christian life as Kierkegaard understands it. D) Finally, I suggest that Kierkegaard sought to reproduce the effects of the tactual' Socrates in his literary project.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Neural Semiotics: A Biological Foundation for Belief

subject: Philosophy Philosophy

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Therapeutic Philosophy: Merleau-Ponty and the Struggle to Articulate Authentic Human Presence

contributor:
Madison, Gary Brent
Philosophy

subject: Philosophy Philosophy

abstract: There is no "thesis" being defended in this project. Rather, it is an attempt with rigorous articulation to discern a sense of quality in the dimension of lived co-existence. With Merleau-Ponty we will survey the felt characteristics of authentic and constituted human presence in the flow of life. In the course of a phenomenology of lived intentionality we will explore authentically in a context of philosophy, language, metaphysics, and ethics. Practicing philosophy as an "aid to self-discovery rather than a matter of strict demonstration" (Marcel, Mystery of Being p.2), we will seek to formulate an intentionality of human relationship embracing an originary experience of existential holism. We will begin to appreciate the "principle of an ethic" emerging from Merleau-Ponty's work as we teach ourselves to honor a felt sense of human intertwining. Our focus will be the felt flow of living relationship, the energetic current of shared presence that unites us as human organisms and in denial of which we may lead lives of fearful isolation, compensatory power-seeking, or life-numbing estrangement. We will be making overtures towards a therapeutic paradigm of felt oneness in relationship and universal human solidarity.

abstract: Master of Philosophy (MA)


title: Simulation of Wire Activation Experiments of Pickering Reactor Unit Number 2 Part A: Industrial Project Bipolar Junction Phototransistor Modelling Part B: McMaster (On-Campus) Project

contributor:
Trojan, O.A.
Engineering Physics

subject:
nuclear reactor cores
design
thermal flux
SORGHUM code
Engineering
Nuclear Engineering
Engineering

abstract: In the design of nuclear reactor cores, as elsewhere, it is important to know the accuracy of the analytical tools (computer codes) which are used. An accurate and effective way of obtaining this knowledge is to compare, for controlled reactor conditions, the measured with the simulated neutron flux distributions. The results of the SORGHUM code, which is used for evaluating methods of controlling large power reactors during and after some prescribed perturbations, were checked by simulating the reactor conditions existing in Pickering Reactor Unit 2 for the wire activation experiments during low power Phase B commissioning. Thermal flux distributions were measured for 13 different configurations of the reactivity control devices of Pickering reactor in two fuel channels Ml2 and K5. The SORGHUM code was used to simulate the conditions in 11 of the 13 experiments. The reactivity devices were represented rather simply by an incremental thermal absorption cross-section only. Some slight adjustment to these cross-sections was found necessary to obtain agreement with experimental results for both channels within a maximum discrepancy of 10%. A reactivity worth was calculated of 20.5 mk for alI adjuster rods and 5.0 mk for zone controllers. This should be compared with the measured values of 20.0 mk and 5.0 mk for adjuster rods and zone controllers, respectively.

abstract: Master of Engineering (MEngr)


title: CONTEXT AND SALIENCE: THE ROLE OF DOPAMINE IN REWARD LEARNING AND NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS

contributor:
Becker, Sue
Bennett, Patrick J.
Psychology

subject:
Dopamine
Reward Learning
Context
Temporal-Difference
Model-based
Reinforcement
Cognitive Psychology
Experimental Analysis of Behavior
Cognitive Psychology

abstract:
Evidence suggests that a change in the firing rate of dopamine (DA) cells is a major neurobiological correlate of learning. The Temporal Difference (TD) learning algorithm provides a popular account of the DA signal as conveying the error between expected and actual rewards. Other accounts have attempted to code the DA firing pattern as conveying surprise or salience. The DA mediated cells have also been implicated in several neuropsychological disorders such as obsessive compulsive disorder and schizophrenia. Compelling neuropsychological explanations of the DA signal also frame it as conveying salience. A model-based reinforcement learning algorithm using a salience signal analogous to dopamine neurons was built and used to model existing animal behavioral data.

Different reinforcement learning models were then compared under conditions of altered DA firing patterns. Several differing predictions of the TD model and the salience model were compared against animal behavioral data in an obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) model using a dopamine agonist. The results show that the salience model predictions more accurately model actual animal behavior.

The role of context in the salience model is different than the standard TD-learning algorithm. Several predictions of the salience model for how people should respond to context shifts of differing salience were tested against known behavioral correlates of endogenous dopamine levels. As predicted, individuals with behavioral traits correlated with higher endogenous dopamine levels are far more sensitive to low salience context shifts than those with correlates to lower endogenous dopamine levels. This is a unique prediction of the salience model for the DA signal which allows for better integration of reinforcement learning models and neuropsychological frameworks for discussing the role of dopamine in learning, memory and behavior.

abstract: Doctor of Science  (PhD)


title: Investigating Interventions for the Prevention of Upper Respiratory Tract Infections

contributor: Clinical Epidemiology/Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics

subject:
rhinovirus
vitamin D
randomized controlled trial
gargling
Clinical Epidemiology
Clinical Epidemiology

abstract:
Upper respiratory tract infection (URTI), which presents clinically as the common cold, is the most common form of respiratory illness experienced by humans and is a major cause of morbidity and hospitalizations. Currently, URTI prevention focuses on hand hygiene with some consideration given to other lifestyle factors such as sleep, nutrition, and exercise. Identifying additional interventions for the prevention of URTI could reduce the burden of this disease.

In this thesis, I examine the role of vitamin D3 supplementation and tap water gargling for the prevention of URTI. I employ experimental and observational study designs to assess the effect of these interventions on the risk of URTI in the context of a randomized controlled trial of 600 participants, and a longitudinal cohort of 416 participants. Further, I investigate the association between modifiable lifestyle factors and risk of URTI using data from the longitudinal cohort. Data from this study is also used to explore statistical methods for the analysis of repeated events.

When evaluating self-reported, clinical URTI, all analyses supported the use of vitamin D3 supplementation to reduce the risk of URTI. However, this finding was only statistically significant in the analysis of the longitudinal cohort study; results from the RCT indicated that vitamin D3 supplementation statistically significantly reduced the risk of laboratory confirmed infections but had a non-significant benefit for clinical infections. Gargling did not reduce the risk of clinical or laboratory confirmed infections.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: The Integration of Children with Handicapping Conditions into the Mainstream of the Elementary School System

contributor:
Brooks, L. R.
Najm, S.
Psychology

subject: educational system

subject: Ontario

subject: Bill 82

subject: handicapping conditions

subject: Disability and Equity in Education

subject: Teacher Education and Professional Development

subject: Disability and Equity in Education

abstract: This project discusses a major issue in the educational system of the Province of Ontario in the 1980' s. With the full implementation of Bill 82 in September of 1985, school boards across the province will be forced once again to determine how the needs of children with handicapping conditions ought best be met. Should they be mainstreamed with their chronological peers in neighbourhood schools or should they attend special schools where all ancillary services are provided? The purpose of this paper is to examine this integration/segregation debate. The first two chapters provide the reader with a historical overview of the issue as well as with a description and critical analysis of the early efficacy studies that have been used as justification for the choice of one type of administrative arrangement over another. Chapter three outlines more contemporary arguments and research in support of the mainstreaming position. It also describes the philosophy, strategies and tec110iques of a local school board that has been mainstreaming children with handicapping conditions since the late 1960's. The final chapter outlines two evaluative techniques that can be used to asses the effectiveness of integration segregation as educational models. Further, a proposal for future research is described in which both of these evaluative techniques would be employed.

abstract: Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)


title: Nucleation Phenomena Occurring in Aqueous Solutions Supersaturated with Calcium Sulfate

contributor:
Hileman, O. E.
Chemistry

subject: Chemistry Chemistry

abstract:
An extensive study of the nucleation phenomena of CaSO4.2H2O under various experimental conditions was undertaken. The droplet technique, a method of isolating mote-free portions of solution, was used along with a photomicrographic method of recording the results of nucleation within the droplet population.

Experiments performed at constant temperature, super-saturation and calcium-sulfate ratio, yielded unconfounded empirical relationships between various independent and dependent nucleation variables. The most significant of these was the relationship between the lag time and the nucleation rate. Recognition of a relationship between these variables led to an extension of the droplet technique to much lower supersaturations. Also, evidence was found for two distinct pre-nucleation processes, a lag and an induction time.

The functionality between the nucleation rate and the calcium-sulfate ratio was studied. It was concluded that the classical definition of supersaturation must include the calcium-sulfate ratio.

Classical thermodynamic parameters were calculated at four experimental temperatures. Most significant of these produced a solution phase diagram for CaSO4.2H2O.

With the information obtained above, designs of droplet experiments with variable driving force were evaluated, taking into account the changing supersaturation and the calcium-sulfate ratio with time. Mathematical models were also developed to handle the data collected from these experiments.

The mechanism of nucleation in aqueous solution was discussed in terms of a new non-classical model using, as a source of information, all the experimental results.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Obscenity, Gender, and Subjectivity: An Examination of Gender and Subjectivity in Hubert Selby Jr.'s Last Exit to Brooklyn, Gloria Naylor's The Women of Brewster Place, and Ntozake Shange's for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf

contributor:
O`Connor, Mary
English

subject:
gender
stereotypes
feminist poststructuralism
obscenity
Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

abstract:
This thesis examines how obscenity can be used either to maintain or to challenge gender stereotypes. Though this thesis focuses on only three texts, the questions raised concerning the relation between obscenity, gender, and subjectivity have wide applications. The primary theory applied here is a feminist poststructuralism which sees gender as socially constructed through language. According to poststructuralism, everything is formed socially or culturally through language. This includes the realities people experience of themselves and their surroundings; therefore, the language used to describe, and ultimately to construct, gender, is extremely important for a feminist critique of gender construction in our patriarchal society. Obscenity plays an often theoretically neglected role in the construction of gendered subjectivities. Drawing attention to the interconnection between obscenity and gender construction is important to feminists for several reasons. Understanding this interconnection may allow feminists not only to undermine stereotypical gender subjectivities, but to create entirely new subject positions.

To investigate the relationship between obscenity, gender, and subjectivity, this thesis examines the following texts: Last Exit to Brooklyn, The Women of Brewster Place, and for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf. The Introduction provides a general survey of critical work concerning obscenity and gender construction as well as providing an introduction to poststructural theory. Chapter I examines Last Exit to Brooklyn and raises questions about, among other things, the misappropriation of obscenity by Selby's female characters where women swear but do so in a patriarchal manner. Selby, in privileging violence over language, silences his female characters in his reinscription of the patriarchy. Chapter II examines The Women of Brewster Place and the context Naylor creates which clearly condemns male violence and gives power to female voices. Chapter III examines for colored girls ... and finds several similarities between Naylor's and Shange's use of obscenity. The new subject positions that these two authors create will be investigated.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Tapas in the Rg Veda

contributor:
Kinsley, D.
Younger, P.
Granoff, P.
Religious Studies

subject: tapas Religion Religion

abstract:
It is my contention in this thesis that the term tapas means heat, and heat only, in the Rig Veda. Many reputable scholars have suggested that tapas refers to asceticism in several instances in the RV. I propose that these suggestions are in fact unnecessary. To determine the exact meaning of tapas in its many occurrences in the RV, I have given primary attention to those contexts (i.e. hymns) in which the meaning of tapas is absolutely unambiguous. I then proceed with this meaning in mind to more ambiguous instances. In those instances where the meaning of tapas is unambiguous it always refers to some kind of heat, and never to asceticism. Since there are unambiguous cases where tapas means heat in the RV, and there are no unambiguous instances in the RV where tapas means asceticism, it only seems natural to assume that tapas means heat in all instances. The various occurrences of tapas as heat are organized in a new system of contextual classifications to demonstrate that tapas as heat still has a variety of functions and usages in the RV.

In conclusion, I suggest that heat works very well as a translation for tapas in the RV. While it is of course possible that other meanings of tapas were acceptable to Vedic man, it seems to me that we must await support from the RV itself before accepting any meaning beyond that of heat, the only meaning which is in fact documented in the RV. This approach to understanding tapas in the RV (i.e. contextual analysis) may help to solve some of the problems modern scholars have faced when attempting to translate a term such as tapas in the RV.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)