title: Organized Humanism in Canada and the Netherlands: A Socio-Historical Comparison

contributor:
Homosty, Roy W.
Sociology

subject:
Netherlands and Canada Humanism
Socio-historical

abstract:
This thesis compares organized humanist organizations in Canada
and the Netherlands. Using a grounded theoretical approach, three
fundamental research questions are addressed: (1) Why has organized
humanism been much more successful in the Netherlands than in Canada?; (2)
Why is Dutch humanism informed by an inclusive ideological orientation, while
Canadian humanism is militantly anti-religious?; and (3) Is there a relationship
between success and ideological orientation? Using a number of socio-historical
and internal-organizational factors, the study suggests that the
success of the Dutch movement is, in part, indebted to the long humanist
tradition in the Netherlands stretching back to the sixteenth century. Secondly,
the pillarization of Dutch society along ideological lines during the late
nineteenth century influenced the development of a distinct humanist pillar
following the end of the Second World War. Along with the confessional pillars,
humanists in the Netherlands were able to secure financial assistance from the
state, encouraging an inclusive, non-confrontational ideological foundation for
Dutch humanism. In comparison, Canada lacks a strong irreligious tradition
and maintains a fair degree of neutrality between church and state. As a result,
Canadian humanists have not received any form of subsidization from the state.
Organized humanism in Canada was heavily influenced by the militantly anticlerical British rationalist movement and developed largely around Dr. Henry
Morgentaler's controversial fight for abortion rights during the late 1960s. As a
consequence, Canadian humanism is anti-religious in its orientation. By
developing humanism into a practical alternative to the church, Dutch humanists
have enjoyed greater success than their Canadian counterparts. However,
given the tremendous decrease in religious affiliation in both Canada and the
Netherlands during recent decades, the comparatively small numbers joining
the ranks of organized humanist movements suggests that this non-theistic
worldview does not serve as an attractive alternative to traditional religious
expressions.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: The Subject of a Disciplined Space: Power relations in England's Nineteenth-century monitorial schools

contributor:
Clark, David L.
English

subject:
England 19th century
monitorial school

abstract: *text removed pages 111 and 125.

abstract:
Monitorial schools became popular in nineteenth-century Britain. Under the panoptic control of a single master who was assisted by a cadre of specially selected pupils --monitors --these institutions responded, ostensibly, to the need to "educate" the underclass. I argue that rather than being concerned with the improvement of literacy, the promoters of these schools --The Reverend Andrew Bell, Joseph Lancaster and Matthew Davenport Hill, among others --were driven more by a desire to contain and manage a segment of the population that constituted a perceived threat to social order.
The efficient management of the schools' populations demanded of their pupils an unrelenting self-discipline, a seemingly innocuous concept that carries within it chilling implications for the definition of an ideal subject. I refer throughout to the ''literature" of the nineteenth-century English monitorial school --its theoretical and pedagogical treatises, pictorial representations and accounts of educational experiments --and by using Michel Foucauh's theories of power, I determine the actual force relations that obtain there, defining precisely the nature of a discipline that operates, as Bell writes, ''through the agency of the scholars themselves".
Having established the educational context out of which monitorial schools emerged, I proceed, in part one of the dissertation, to examine mainly the works of Joseph Lancaster and Matthew Davenport Hill By reference to their tracts, I show how the monitorialists used the emerging technologies ofdetention to create a subject population whose bodies became the point ofapplication not only of "education," but also a complex form ofsocio-political experimentation.
In the second part I investigate the attraction for Samuel Taylor Coleridge ofThe Reverend Andrew Bell's monitorial theory, revealing that what some critics have seen as Coleridge's paradoxical attraction to monitorialism is, in fact, a confirmation ofhis own idealistic vision for England's social hierarchy.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: The Analysis of Interregional Fiscal Policy: A Simulation Approach

contributor:
Johnson, J.A.
Economics

subject: Conventional wisdom, fiscal policy, regional level, bond-financed, interregional, endogenous, expenditure, target-adjustment, equilibrium,

abstract:
Conventional wisdom is that fiscal policy at the regional level is ineffective. Recent concern about stability of bond-financed fiscal policy imposes an additional constraint on the effectiveness of interregional fiscal policy. In the conventional macroeconomic model, regional public sectors are ignored, or are at most a subset of the national model. Fiscal and financial interrelationships among different levels of government have not been investigated thoroughly in the literature. The purpose of this dissertation is to provide a theoretical framework for the analysis of interregional fiscal policy. We argue that all government budget constraints must be explicitly included in the model, and regions become the major building blocks of the system. Stability of the system then defends on the fiscal and financial interrelationships among different levels of government. We examine a once-and-for-all fiscal policy change in the interregional model with and without the federal sector. The simulated results based on an acceptable range of parameter values show that the system cannot generate a stable long-run equilibrium. At best, a quasi-equilibrium is attainable in that only the overall government budget constraint is satisfied. A once-and-for-all policy change is not
only irrelevant in reality since public sectors react to actual economic situations, but also becomes a source of instability in an interregional model. The final version of the interregional model incorporates an endogenous fiscal policy. Government expenditure becomes an endogenous variable and fiscal policies are target-oriented. The income level and balanced-budget are the main targets. A system of government expenditure reaction functions is built into the model with each governnent adopting an active fiscal policy in order to achieve income and balanced-budget targets. The public sector adjusts its fiscal policy according to the last period' s economic situation. The extent of these government expenditure changes is governed by the target-adjustment parameters. Each government has its own priority or objective in determining the target-adjustment parameter values. The simulated results show that the interregional model can generate a stable long-run equilibrium, regardless of the mode of federal financing policy. The effectiveness of an active fiscal policy and the critical limits of these target-adjustment parameters are investigated. Of prime importance is the finding that an independent regional fiscal policy cannot generate a stable long-run equilibrium. Only when all governments cooperate actively in fiscal managanent can the system achieve the targets. Thus, the final version of the interregional model not only rejects independent regional fiscal policies, but requires coordination and cooperation among all governments in devising a viable fiscal policy. Our simulation findings therefore strengthen the case for fiscal federalism.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Postmodernism and the Human Subject: The Return of the Repressed

contributor:
McMurtry, John
Philosophy

subject:
Postmodernism
human subject

abstract: *page 147 not removed from text

abstract:
According to postmodern philosophy, the great political errors and crimes of the modern period may be traced back to the essentialism of modern thought. Modernity sought to base universal political projects upon a universal definition of humanity as a rationally self-determining species. However, such a view of humanity is opposed to the real cultural differences which characterize real communities. The essentialist picture of human being, far from furthering the work of freedom, legitimates the suppression of any differences judged to be unessential.
Postmodernism hopes to overcome the suppression of differences by rejecting the notion of subjecthood upon which modernity rested. However, by giving up the idea that humanity is essentially self-determining, postmodern politics become incoherent. The concern for the oppressed which animates postmodern philosophy pre-supposes what postmodern critique denies-a real, universal human capacity to alter circumstances in accordance with self-given plans.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Mythology in the English Classroom: A Continuum for Secondary School English Students in Grades 9 to 12

contributor:
Beattie, Catherine
Kingston, Dr. Peter

subject:
Mythology in the classroom
secondary school english

abstract:
This project is divided into two parts. It is argued in
Part I that the teaching of mythology to students in English
programs at the secondary level provides a foundation for their
study of literature. The mythology of the ancient Greeks, the
legends and myths of Europe, and native North American folklore are
a rich source for students, both in the characters, plots and
themes they present, and also for the structures that have becom1e
archetypes upon which much literature is based. In order to show
that the mandate set out by the Ministry of Education for this
development of curriculum is satisfied by this project, an
examination of the relevant literature is presented. A critical
analysis of the curriculum theories of Joseph Schwab is presented
in some detail. The suitability of his theory of deliberation as
the basis of the development of this curriculum project is
explained. The implementation of these units in one particular
school is recounted. The concluding chapter of Part I describes
the data collection that has been used in evaluating and revising
of these units.
Part II contains one unit of mythology for the advanced
level English program in each of grades 9, 10, 11 and 12. These
units reflect and contain the ideas developed and expanded upon in
Part I. Each unit is the first one taught at that grade level and informs the way in which the students read the other literature on
the course. These units identify objectives, strategies and
suggested evaluation procedures. Each of the units also includes
a resource list, and a bibliography. In addition, each unit
represents a balanced selection of literature, language and media,
in keeping with the guidelines established by the Ministry of
Education. Part II also presents specific lesson plans and
activity sheets for individual lessons. The instruction strategies
suggest a variety of pedagogical activities for individuals, pairs,
small groups and whole class instruction. An independent study
component is provided with each unit.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts in the Teaching of English (MATE)


title: Customary Illusions: Land and Copra in Longana, Vanuatu

contributor:
Cooper, M.C.
Anthropology

subject:
Illusions
Longana, Vanuatu

abstract:
Dimensions of meaning associated with social
differentiation among Melanesian peasant producers are explored in this study of customary land tenure and copra production in Longana, Aoba Island, Vanuatu. The notion of "customary illusions" --mystifications experienced as true --is developed to highlight suppositions, expectations and ideals formed in association with traditional land tenure and production for the market. My thesis is that these illusions represent ambiguous but meaningful fragments of complex reality. I use customary illusions as a relativistic device to focus on the whole of the problem of understanding Longanan peasant cash-cropping.
The holistic approach I follow interrelates phenomenology, political economy and empiricism as complementary lenses for refracting meaning. The dissertation is based on twenty-eight months field research in 1978-1979 and 1969-1971. It begins with examination of consequences of the colonial history of Vanuatu as an Anglo-French Condominium for retention of customary land tenure and adoption of copra as a peasant cash-crop. I explore ni-Vanuatu illusions of independence amidst dependence and of inalienability of land amidst its alienation as products of the colonial experience. Next, the flexibility of traditional land tenure is investigated phenomenologically through the ambiguity of illusions linked with Longanans' experience of place. This flexibility is both an asset and a liability, ensuring that no one is landless but also allowing 5% of the landholders to control 31% of the plantation land. Inequality arising through land tenure flexibility represents differentiation within the peasantry as a class. Empirical analysis of plantation land distribution and copra sales suggests consequences of this inequality with particular attention to a class category of "big peasants," relatively weal thy, large landholders. Risks and costs that the copra market imposes constrain all producers' agricultural decisions so that, for example, they do not increase production in response to rising prices. Yet,
through bargaining with buyers over terms other than prices, Longanans assert some control over market exchanges and affirm their own illusory independence. In sum, the dissertation seeks to enrich understanding of peasant producers' behaviour by analyzing the meaningful ambiguity of our illusions about them, and theirs about themselves.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Norms for Political Argumentation in a Liberal Democracy

contributor:
Hitchcock, David
Philosophy

subject:
Political arguments
Liberal settings

abstract: In this thesis, I have attempted to show a connection between nor:ms for argumentation and requirements of a liberal democracy. The way in which we arrive at our decisions in a democracy is through the argumentative process. This argumentative process can be differentiated into eight separate argumentative dialogues, each having their own respective goals and initial situations. Given democracy's reliance on these argumentative dialogues, I derived three requirements which follow from our basic conception of democracy, i.e. government by the people. These three requirements are participation, trust and understanding. From these three requirements, I argued that it is possible to derive nor:ms of argumentation which in turn support and foster these requirements of democracy. They are fairness, honesty, and clarity, respectively. By bringing together political philosophy and argumentational theory, I have shown that the quality of one's arguments have direct consequences for democracy.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: The Perception of Women in the Writing of Philo of Alexandria

contributor:
Mendelson, Alan
Sanders, Ed
Religious Studies

subject:
Womens writings
Philo of Alexandria

abstract:
The purpose of this study is to determine the perception of women revealed in the writing of Philo of Alexandria. Although Richard Baer approached the subject in Philo's Use of the Categories Male and Female, no comprehensive examination has been made of the role Philo accorded women.
I set Philo's writing on the subject of women within the context of two intellectual traditions, the Jewish and the Greek, in order to determine whether he accepts, rejects or alters inherited attitudes. I study it also in the context of the multifarious ways Philo uses "male" and "female" to express comparisons. There emerges a coherent pattern, which indicates that Philo's statements about women are not isolated from his overall understanding of the meaning of "female."
After establishing these two larger contexts, I narrow the scope of the study, by demonstrating that Philo's perception of women cannot be determined from his statements about "man." I do this by studying the context in which he uses both Greek terms translated by the English term "man," anthropos and aner, as well as looking into the use of the two terms in the Septuagint and in some earlier Greek writing.
In the body of the work I study Philo's material on Biblical women and contemporary women, subdividing the first group according to Philo's terms, "women" and "virgins."
The conclusion of the work is that Philo intensifies the subordination of women which he draws from both traditions. He views woman as a danger to man unless she is under his strict control. Since his first concern is the survival of the community through the religious strength of its men, he believes that woman ought to play an auxiliary role, and to be prevented from any behaviour which would deter men from their religious quest.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: An Analysis of Investment Incentive Policies in Canada

subject: investment, incentive, policies, economic growth, stabilization, Canada, influence, expenditures, institutional framework,

abstract: Investment incentive policies have been major policy instruments used in Canada and elsewhere to achieve economic growth and stabilization. In this study an attempt is made to isolate the specific effects contained in these policies, and to measure their impact on investment expenditures in Canada. There are three major sections to the study. First, various well-known models of investment behaviour are used to illustrate how investment incentive policies may be expected to influence investment expenditures. Secondly, a group of major Canadian incentive policies are described in detail, together with an outline of the institutional framework in which the policies were conceived and operated. Thirdly, these major policies are incorporated into investment functions to test for their impact on investment expenditures. From the empirical analysis, the investment incentive policies do not appear to have influenced investment expenditures to any substantial degree. At the same time the cost of these policies in terms of revenue foregone has been substantial. The major conclusion is that the case for investment incentive policies as instruments of short run stabilization policy is extremely weak.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Controlling the Autonomous An Exploratory Case Study of the Mechanisms of Control Surrounding the Achievement of Status in Academia

contributor:
Rosenblum, Dr. G.
Sociology

subject: Achievement Academia

abstract:
This thesis examines the relationship between status, mechanisms of control, and individual academic autonomy. It is a qualitative study which relies upon previous research in the field of academia in conjunction with data generated by semi-structured interviews of full time academics in the social sciences at McMaster University.
It is proposed in this thesis that the accumulation of status has come to play a critical role in the academic market economy which most universities entered as academia expanded during the post World War Two era.. It is suggested that the primary element in the realization of status is the publication of research, especially during the recessionary, no growth situation universities have been experiencing since the 1970's. Published research is viewed as a commodity, valued by both academics and those in positions of authority at the university. To ensure its production a number of controls are erected.
Although effective control is often associated with the rigidity of Tayloriam, such a prescription for academics is both ideologically unplalatable and unnecessary. The novitiate to the academic labour process is given little direction in terms of guidance, performance expectations, job description or how to allocate personal resources. When the above are coupled with an ambiguous, institutionally based evaluation format, the result is often the perception that academia is a prime example of occuaptional autonomy -as promoting independence of both thought and action. But perhaps it can also be a means of controlling academics through indirect external pressure, which also shapes the internal controls of academics. The end product of such a scenario may not be an independence for the academic that autonomy would by definition suggest, but a conformity which is ultimately consistent with accumulation of institutional status.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: The Prophetic Reading of the Psalms in the Synoptic Gospels, in the Context of Second Temple Judaism

contributor:
Westerholm, Stephen R.
Biblical Studies, Religion

subject:
Psalms
Second temple judaism

abstract:
The book of Psalms, which contains prayers and songs, is one of the most frequently cited books in the New Testament. The Synoptic evangelists seem to read the Psalms not primarily as prayers but as prophecies of the future. They discovered in its language prophecies concerning the life and ministry of Jesus and attempted to show how Jesus' life was prefigured in the Psalms. The present study is undertaken with a view to examine a topic within the broad subject of the use of the OT in the NT, that of the prophetic reading of the Psalms in the Synoptic gospels, in the context of Second Temple Judaism.
This study will consist of six chapters. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the topic which includes examples of the use of the Psalms in the NT, a survey of selected earlier studies done in related areas, and a working definition of a "citation" and "prophecy." This study deals with four psalm citations in Mark, nine in Matthew, and six in Luke. This study presupposes no particular stance on the order of the Synoptic gospels. Chapter 2 examines the prophetic reading of the Psalms in Second Temple Jewish literature. Chapters 3, 4, and 5 discuss direct psalm citations found in Mark, Matthew, and Luke respectively. Chapter 6 summarizes the conclusions of the work and makes suggestions for further research. This study contributes to a broader understanding of the early Christian view that Jesus' life and ministry fulfilled what was foretold in the Psalms.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Carlyle, Tennyson, and the Apocalyptic Tradition

contributor:
Ferns, Dr. John
English Literature

subject:
Carlyle, Tennyson
Apocalyptic Tradition

abstract: One of the major aims of this dissertation is to demonstrate that modern apocalypticism, however rationally justified it may appear to be, is the product of desires comparable to those which prompted our forebears to espouse apocalyptic beliefs. Apocalypticism springs from a persistent desire to see the present world order replaced by a perfected world order, a desire to render sacred the profanity of existence. The modern predilection to view the world in ironic terms has, however, rendered us incapable of attaining a sacramental vision, and we are thus victims of an ironic apocalypticisrn, which deals only in terms of destruction, not of regeneration, and we look to the future with gloomy foreboding rather than millennial hope. This, then, is the death-wish of modern culture, and the major part of the dissertation is concerned to show how the sacramental vision of Romanticism, which was itself in the mainstream of the Christian apocalyptic tradition, became transformed in the nineteenth century into the ironic apocalypticism of the present day. The first chapter opens with a discussion of the nature of apocalyptic belief and traces its development up to the beginning of the nineteenth century. The central chapters examine in detail the careers of two writers--Carlyle and Tennyson--who started out from a fundamentally Romantic position, but who gradually moved towards a nihilistic vision of a world ruled by flux, which paved the way for the development of an ironic, non-sacramental vision. In the final chapter, the development of this ironic vision in the twentieth century is traced, and the dissertation concludes with an examination of current trends, and, in particular, of a nee-Romanticism, which seeks to reinstate a sacramental vision.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Orthodox Judaism in North America: Issues of Internal Conflict

contributor:
Greenspan, Louie
Religious Studies

subject: ideological issues, Jewish, orthodox, North America, stability, unity

abstract:
The purpose of this work is to identify and discuss those ideological issues which divide Jewish Orthodox opinion today in North America. Using a short 1978 article by Shubert Spero entitled Orthodox Judaism. which identified four major areas of conflict within Orthodoxy, as a starting point, I endeavour to expand upon, verify, and update Spero's findings to the present situation, thus filling an important gap in the sociological literature of North American Orthodox Judaism.
Beginning with a historical introduction to Orthodox Judaism and a general discussion of the present sociological composition of North American Orthodoxy, I proceed to devote one short chapter for each of the several issues to be discussed.
In conclusion, the seriousness of the divisions within Orthodoxy are assessed in terms of the effect they may have on the total unity and stability of the Orthodox movement in North America.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: The Death of the Self: Novels by Ondaatje and Marlatt

contributor:
York, Lorraine
English

subject: Michael Ondaatje, Daphne Marlatt, characters, stability, consistency, predictability, ambiguity, monotony, identity

abstract: Using similar disjunctive writing styles, Michael Ondaatje and Daphne Marlatt create characters who defy stability, consistency, and predictability. Both authors undermine the notion that the self is a unified entity determined to resist an ambiguity in the search for univocal meaning. Rather, the worlds inhabited by Buddy Bolden, Lalla Dickman, Mervyn Ondaatje, and Ina as found in Coming Through Slaughter, Running in the Family, and Ana Historic subscribe to uniformity by valourizing social and textual conventions. Within these contexts of closure, all characters succumb to some degree of hysteria, madness, or death. In Ondaatje's novels scandal becomes a release from the monotony of a unified self, while in Ana Historic Annie Anderson's continual displacement of pronouns effectively suspends female identity. Ondaatje and Marlett fictionalize the post-structuralist work of Roland Barthes in "The Death of the Author" in that both authors create characters whose boundaries are never fixed, but always shifting according to the contexts in which they find themselves. On this basis the self as embodied in the pronoun "I" contains not a set persona, but a network of competing voices. In the final chapter of this thesis, I examine the implications for authorship which Ondaatje and Marlatt raise in their contention that the self exists without a central core. During moments of autobiography, Ondaatje and Marlatt implicitly contest the defacement of their signatures on novels which call for an obfuscation of identity, but arrest that movement when it folds back on the author's domain--the outer cover of the text. Because Ondaatje and Marlett elide themselves with their characters, they, too, are pulled into a vertigo of language that knows not identity, but the endless positing and erasure of tropes.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: A Riemannian Distance in Signal Design for MIMO Radar

contributor:
Wong, Kon Max
Davidson, Tim
Electrical and Computer Engineering

abstract:
We examine the signal design for Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) radar by
matching a desired beam pattern, while suppressing the auto-correlation and crosscorrelation
sidelobes. We further reason that since the estimated covariance matrix
of the transmitted signal forms a manifold in the signal space, the di erence between
the estimated covariance matrix and the desired one should be measured in terms of
Riemannian distance (RD) instead of the commonly used Euclidean Distance (ED).
We transform the design problem into a convex (CVX) optimization problem which
can be solved e ciently by convex optimization methods. Applying RD concept of
measure to our design objective function, results show that the performance of our
design is superior to that of using ED for the objective.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: The Problem of the Justification of Value Judgments with Reference to the View of Taylor, in Normative Discourse

contributor:
Najm, S.
Philosophy

subject: rational justification, value judgments, technique, verification, validation, vindication, choice, way of life, Normative Discourse, The Moral Point of View, logical,

abstract:
The purpose of this essay is to analyse the problem of the rational justification of value judgments. To a large extent, I have used Taylor's account of the technique of justification (verification, validation, vindication, and rational choice of a way of life), as this is presented in his book, Normative Discourse. To a lesser extent, I have also used Baier's account of the technique of validation, as it is presented in his book, The Moral Point of View.
I have attempted to show that it is possible to justify value judgments, despite the logical dichotomy between factual statements and evaluative statements. 'Justification' is taken as proof of correctness: that is, a statement is said to be justified if it is proven to be correct. On Taylor's technique, justification is possible, although only incompletely so. It is possible to prove that a value judgment is the correct one to make from within the perspective provided by a given way of life. Justification cannot be complete since the adoption of the perspective
cannot be justified. On Baier's technique of validation, complete justification can be achieved:
once it has been shown that an evaluatum meets the criteria in terms of which it was judged,
and that these criteria are relevant (valid) for judging that object since the object must meet these criteria in order effectively to realize its purpose, nothing more needs to be shown. Although Baier's account allows for complete justification while Taylor's allows for only incomplete justification, Baier's account cannot be used to replace that of Taylor. They are appropriate in different contexts. While Baier's account of validation is appropriate for judgments of use-value, Taylor's account is appropriate for value judgments other than those of use-value. Accordingly, justification is possible using either technique, although complete justification may be possible only in the context of judgments of use-value.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Social Norms and Social Discourse A Critique of Moral Conservatism

contributor:
Simpson, Evan
Philosophy

subject: theme, moral conservatism, conflict, justice, equality, hermeneutic element, norms, abstract, relativism

abstract:
The emphasis of this work ls on the common theme found in the three recent works of Stuart Hampshire (Morality and Conflict), Alasdair Macintyre (After Virtue) and Michael Walzer (Spheres of Justice). I call this theme "moral conservatism". While I believe that the "moral conservatives" are correct in their attempt to establish morality within society rather than in abstraction, their method of generating moral rules through social discourse seems to conflict with their own belief in certain vague notions of justice and equality.
on close examination the method of the moral conservatives appears to be hermeneutic in that it involves the re-establishment of appeals to tradition and authority within the context of discourse. Given this hermeneutic element I have found that Habermas 's critique of hermeneutics can also be applied to their methodology. The result is a solution to the initial conflict. Habermas's analysis of universal pragmatics and the ideal speech situation provide a means of introducing constraints on the outcome of social discourse about norms. These constraints, because they are inherent in all social discourse, are universal. Nevertheless, they are not abstract in that they do not derive from an appeal to pure reason; rather, they are inherent in social discourse itself.
This modification of the moral conservatives' approach indicates the possibility of combining the concreteness of historical relativism with a universal element usually found in a historical and indeed antihistorical ethical theories.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: The Concept of Right Action in Karl Popper

contributor:
Greenspan, L.
Religious Studies

subject: concept, right action, social and moral philosophy, theory of rationality, 'critical rationalism', falsifiability, critique, religion, tradition,

abstract: This thesis seeks to examine the Concept of Right Action in Karl Popper's social and moral philosophy. This is attempted through the study of his theory of rationality. Through the examination of his theory of 'critical rationalism', it has been established that a right action is a rational action, that is, an action based on a critical assessment of its possible consequences. His theory of falsifiability, which is fundamental to his theory of critical rationalization and which advocates that falsification as opposed to verification, is a true test of a theory, is also examined, in order to see whether and how it can be applied to social and moral problems. In this context it has been established that in social and political realms also, one works through theories, ideas and hypotheses which can be tested. This method is considered to be a rational and scientific method and is advocated as an alternative to authoritarian and totalitarian methods. In order to determine the viability of K. Popper's proposals, his critique of historicism is also examined. Through the study of these critiques, it has been established that historicist modes of thought and action tend to lead to totalitarian and authoritarian political and social systems, and the consequent violence. A system based on critical rationalism is considered to be the only alternative. In examining these critiques we also raised the question whether religion and tradition have any place in Popper's system. It has been shown that the critical understanding and use of tradition is fundamental and necessary. We have also shown that Popper is not anti-religion and that religion and rationality are not incompatible, when we consider that religion is not merely a metaphysical system but also a social system, i.e., a body of ethics and a way of life. A rational and a secular attitude and a religious attitude are not mutually exclusive.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: The Aporia of Essence in Aristotle's Metaphysics

subject: solution, fourteenth puzzle, Aristotle's metaphysics, naturalized, essenses, substance is particular, knowledge is of universals, law of contradiction

abstract: This thesis proposes a solution to the fourteenth puzzle stated in Aristotle's Metaphysics Book 3, Chapter 6. For the most part I rely on Metaphysics Books 7 and 8 to find a solution and I treat the essences of natural beings in the context of a naturalized metaphysics. I conclude that essences are at once particular and universal. What is novel about my solution is that it allows Aristotle to maintain three important theses: (1) substance is particular, (2) knowledge is of universals, (3) the law of contradiction. I claim that Aristotle is able to maintain theses 1 and 2 without contradiction by giving matter a significant role to play in the solution. As a secondary task, I evaluate Aristotle's claim that essence is primary substance in the Metaphysics. I conclude that the right to the title of primary substance belongs to the following candidates in this order: sensible substances, essences, matter.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Growth of the Modern University and the Development of a Sociology of Higher Education in the United States

subject:
interrelationship
higher education
capitalist socio-economic system
United States
college and university
historical transformation

abstract:
 This dissertation examines the interrelationship between higher education and the capitalist socio-economic system in the United States. The central argument is that both the growth of colleges and universities, and the development of a sociology of higher education, have been dependent upon, and serve to support, the historical transformation of the socio-economic system from laissez-faire to corporate capitalism. A socio-economic elite which has dominated the development of scientific knowledge and the growth of college and universities since colonial times, has profitably invested its riches in reshaping higher education to serve the dictates of the new capitalism in its corporate form. An examination of college and university financing, educational philosophy, and the social science practiced by professors shows that these changed to accommodate changes in the socio-economic system. The cumulative emphasis has been, and continues to be, on the production, sale, and consumption of a practical (marketable) knowledge which furthers elite domination of the educational industry.

 The sociology of higher education, as it has developed over the past twenty years, provides an example of theory which furthers this elite domination. A review of three eminent theorists, Burton R. Clark, David Riesman, and Christopher Jencks, shows how their attempt to make colleges and universities autonomous from the surrounding socio-economic system makes higher edcation increasingly dependent upon, subservient to, that system. Clark's "active" education creates an Academic Revolution based upon the specialized expertise of academic disciplines which Riesman labels "the racecourses of the mind".  The sociological raceciurse helps provide Jencks with an individualistic explanation to "accidents" of personality and luck. The argument presented herein suggests these inequalities are legitimated and sustained by the commitment of the education-as-autonomous theorists to a pluralistic ideology which ties the growth of higher education with the prevailing socio-economic arrangements of corporate capitalism. Briefly, the education-as-autonomous thesis developed by Clark, Reisman and Jencks provides a notion of pluralism (widely dispersed power) that encourages and helps to ensure the non-pluralistic domination of higher education by a corporate elite capable of transforming wealth into power.

 A summary review of the foundations of American sociology underscores the interconnections between this pluralism and German sociologist Max Weber's conception of scientific "objectivity". It is Weber's science, characterizing the sociologist as an objective analyst receptive to all data, rather than the science of Lester Ward and the Americans, which continues to be a major influence on the majority of sociologists educated in the United States. While Weber and Ward both developed a pluralistic science providing ideological support for American capitalism, Weber did so in a manner that seemed more value-natural. Weber was simply more inclined than Ward to make his values supporting the socio-economic structure of capitalism more covert. This supposed value-neutrality of Weber's sociology appeals to social scientists, legitimating and sustaining the professional practice which maintains their privileged position within the current socio-economic order. Weber attempts to make scientists as objectively autonomous from the larger socioeconomic system as the Clark-Riesman-Jencks thesis tries to make the universities. Accordingly, the pluralism of Weber's "constellations of interest" includes superman/wonderwoman sociologists capable of transcending the ordinary by pacifying passion in a professional manner.

 An examination of this sociological professionalis in two settings, the professional association and the university, indicates the importance of Weber's notion of scholarly objectivity as the central norm governing professional practice. adherence to the objectivity norm is of primary importance in giving rise to the view among many sociologists that sociology as "understanding" cannot be a practice. This conception of sociology has helped promote itself to become "the official view: of social reality--a view that encourages university professors to serve and protect elite interests, interests they recognize as becoming increasingly their own. Professional commitment and responsibility have come to mean participation in the development of Weber's "objective" science which continue to maintain the Clark-Riesman-Jencks myth that universities and professional associates are autonomous, objectively value-neutral and, therefore, apolitical. To act in a professional commitment which has come to mean service to, maintenance of, the socio-economic arrangements of today's corporate capitalism.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: The Hexaemeral Tradition in Old English Peotry

contributor:
Lee, A.A.
English

subject:
Old English
cosmological conceptions
Christian faith
Hexaemera
poetic cosmology

abstract:
 In our search for an understanding of Old English cosmological conceptions we discover that the creation myth is central to the mysteries of the Christian faith, and that the Greek and Latin authors' interpretations of creation, known as "Hexaemera", provide much that is vital and influential to Old English poetic cosmology. My purpose in this dissertation is two-fold. The first is to provide for the Old English biblically-based poems an informing context of Greek and Latin hexaemeral writings drawn mainly from the Fathers of the Church. The second is to examine three Old English texts on creation and paradise as set against the background of the Mediterranean hexaemeral tradition. That a definite and complex accumulation of hexaemeral writings existed from the early patristic era through the Old English period (ca. A.D. 100-750) is confirmed by the wide variety of treatises, tractates, sermons, poems and hymns, assertive and didactic literary genres all revealing one major purpose -- the demonstration of intelligible order in the universe which is to be perceived through a vision of God's wisdom in creation.

  From this immense body of traditions about creation and paradise emerges a pattern which suggests to us the hypothesis that the Old English Christian poets, whose access to a broad range of such writings has been established, pondered and incorporated the hexaemeral features and conventions while adding their own variations to the creation theme. An important corollary to this hypothesis is that the Old English accounts of creation and paradise were influenced by an elaborate, lettered, and learned tradition which deserves special critical emphasis. Recent scholars have stressed the need for a comprehensive study of the potentialities of allusion in Old English poems to traditional Christian allegorical and tropological interpretations, as well as a study of the scholarly habits of perception which distinguished the monastic and ecclesiastical writings of the Middle Ages. This thesis is intended to fill a small aspect of this need in its exploration of the lettered traditions of creation which preceded and existed alongside Anglo-Saxon civilization.

 In order to develop this thesis I have categorized its two parts, respectively, as the patristic and poetic traditions. Part One offers an inquiry into the exegetical treatment of creation and paradise revealed in the Fathers, the Christian Latin poets, and related sources. The exploration is not intended to be comprehensive but representative in a critical mode directed towards illuminating our understanding of certain seminal concepts from which radiated further interpretations of creation in the Old English poetic canon. The figural levels of meaning perceived by patristic authors in such archetypal symbols as the primordial ocean, the green plain and golden groves of Eden, the luminaries of day and night, the fire and hail, snow and vapour of creation, contribute to our understanding of the Old English moulding of creation myths.

  In Part Two, the critical scope of the study focusses in three separate chapters on the creation :features of the Junius Genesis A and Christ and Satan, and the paradisal elements in the Exeter Phoenix. Equipped with a knowledge of the main features of the Mediterranean hexaemeral tradition, we are enabled to perceive the divergent treatment of creation themes in the relevant Old English texts. The intricacies of Christian exegesis can amplify our appreciation of the more concise Old English poetic hexaemeral in which the major emphasis is on tradition drawn from late classical antiquity, pagan Germanic concepts, and· biblical and patristic imagery. This assertion is not to imply that the Old English poetic texts merely present successive interpretations of creation and paradise without adding any new dimension. The hexaemeral tradition in the imaginations of the Old English poets loses the rigid character of dogma and develops into a vision of the world as cosmopoesy.

 The boundaries of investigation in this thesis are necessarily limited. I have selected a scope of study within the main documentable collection of traditions which aided in shaping Old English cosmogonic mythology. Throughout the study I argue for the significance of, and the indispensable need for, knowledge of Christian traditions in the area of Old English hexaemeral writings which constitute mythopoeic or imaginative literature in contrast to the homiletic character of influential patristic doctrine.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Knowledge and Method in Socratic Thought

contributor:
Panagiotou, S.
Philosophy

subject:
Socratic elenchus
moral knowledge
virtue
positive convictions

abstract: In this thesis I attempt to clarify the nature and limits of the Socratic elenchus in order to determine whether or not it is capable of justifying moral knowledge as Socrates understood it. To this end, I first compare and contrast the elenchus with previous philosophical methods. I then argue that Socrates conceived of moral knowledge as expert knowledge of virtue by way of definition. Finally, I analyze the elenchus itself, and I argue: (i) that it is, in principle, capable of adequately justifying positive convictions about virtue, but only in those cases where Socrates makes no use of premises which are either logically unsecured with.in the demonstration or which lack justification from external, nonelenctic sources (ad hoc premises) ; and (ii) that since Socrates often proclaims elenctic success despite using ad hoc premises, I conclude that his lack of epistemological and logical interest led him to habitually overestimate the results of his arguments.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Modulation of respiratory mucosal immunity against pulmonary tuberculosis

contributor: Medical Sciences (Molecular Virology and Immunology Program)

subject:
Tuberculosis
Allergic Asthma
Cigarette Smoke
Respiratory mucosa
Vaccination
Immune modulation

abstract: Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the most infectious causes of death worldwide.  Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb), the causative agent of TB is transmitted via infectious aerosols, and in the majority of cases the bacteria is effectively controlled, by the host, resulting in a chronic latent infection.   Currently, the only available vaccine is the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), which despite being successful in preventing childhood disseminated forms of TB, has failed to control the adult pulmonary TB epidemic.  One of the major contributing factors in the failure of the BCG is that although antigen-specific T cells are present at the time of M.tb infection, the recruitment of such T cells into the site of infection is significantly delayed.  This delay, while reduced compared to non-vaccinated hosts, allows the bacteria to replicate unchecked within the lung and establish a “foothold” prior to the arrival of protective T cells and subsequent immune control.  Thus, novel initiatives seek to close this “immunological gap” through increasing the level of protective T cell responses within the airway mucosa immediately following M.tb infection.  We therefore investigated the impact of deliberate modulation of T cell geography following BCG vaccination on the outcome of pulmonary M.tb infection.  In addition, a number of environmental factors are also thought to affect the site of M.tb infection: the respiratory mucosa. However, little is currently known about the effects of environmental exposure to allergens and other substances such as cigarette smoke on the outcome of pulmonary TB.  Throughout this thesis we have investigated the mechanisms of immune protection and failure of protection against pulmonary M.tb infection within the respiratory mucosa.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (Medical Science)


title: A Defence of Immaterialism

contributor:
Griffin, N.J.
Philosophy

subject:
experiences
non-experiential talk

abstract:
 This thesis is an attempt to defend the somewhat outrageous view that the only things we need consider to be real are experiences. A serious objection to this view is that we seem to talk of things other than experiences, and that such talk is apparently unavoidable. But in Chapter One it is argued that if non-experiential talk can be interpreted in what is called a 'non-representational' way, then the apparent reference to non-experiential entities can be considered illusory. In Chapter Two a method of doing this is outlined. The key concept here is that of the 'acceptability of a sentence relative to a set of experiences.' Roughly, it is proposed that a semantic theory be a system of rules that determines this property for any assertoric sentence and any set of experiences. In Chapter Three the concept of truth is discussed in terms of the ideas already introduced. It is argued that we should recognize two kinds of truth - what are called 'redundancy truth' and 'empirical truth'. Empirical truth is more inportant for our purposes, but we have to recognize that there may be some sentences that are neither empirically true nor empirically false. Although this might be thought to necessitate a revision of classical bgic, it is argued that this is in fact not so.

 The last chapter contains an evaluation of the traditional empiricist conception of experience and attempts to defend the following: the epistemological priority of experiences; the withholding of ontological status from physical things; and the rejection of solipsism. There is also a comparison (though only a limited one) between the present theory and the verificationisrn of M.A.E. Dummett.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: The Ethical Dimension in the Philosophy of Spinoza

contributor:
Bristol, John
Philosophy

subject:
Spinoza
ethics
metaphysical doctrines
epistemological doctrines

abstract: <p> There are very few studies devoted specifically to the ethical teaching of Spinoza's Ethics. Instead, commentaters have focussed their attention mainly on the metaphysical and epistemological doctrines found chiefly in Parts I and II. Nevertheless, ethics was Spinoza's primary concern and the metaphysical and epistemological doctrines were intended by him to support and culminate in a practical doctrine of the best way of life. Despite its title, however, the Ethics is silent about what Spinoza means by ethics; indeed, nowhere in this work does he define or explain what ethics is. With this in mind, my chief objective will be to determine what Spinoza himself means by ethics and the significance of this for an understanding of both his ethics and his philosophy as a whole.<p>

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: JUST IN TIME PROCUREMENT AND INVENTORY MANAGEMENT FOR A HOSPITAL

contributor:
Hassini, Elkafi
eHealth

abstract: In this thesis we review a hospital supply chain management system and propose a purchasing optimization model to improve efficiency. We provide a background on the hospital being studied and evaluate current hospital practice by mapping out all the supply chain related processes and identifying appropriate key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess the current hospital operations. A mixed integer programming (MIP) model to optimize procurement and inventory management is then proposed. Utilizing CPLEX solver in GAMS, we obtain the exact solution to the problem using real data from the hospital. To overcome the complexity of implementing a MIP model in a hospital setting, we develop a heuristic algorithm and present numerical computations to test its performance. A visual basic application is developed in Excel to automate the steps of heuristic model and facilitate the implementation. Finally, the performance of the heuristic model is tested against the exact solution. We find that the heuristic solutions are on average 97% close to the exact solution.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: How effective are NSAIDS at controlling tonsillectomy pain

contributor: Clinical Health Sciences (Health Research Methodology)

subject: non-steroidal tonsillectomy analgesic pain

abstract: Tonsillectomy is one of the most commonly performed surgeries in North America. Guidelines exist for surgical candidacy for pediatric patients, but to date, there exists significant controversy and no clear guidelines advising physicians on treating pain post-tonsillectomy. Pain is the most frequent and potentially morbid complication of tonsillectomy, as it triggers return visits to physicians and hospitals following surgery, and can result in the need for hospital admission for hydration and pain control. In fact, a main point of controversy surrounds the use of a large class of analgesics known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), due to the potential for increased risk of bleeding as a result of their anti-platelet activity. However, NSAIDs have been shown to have a notable analgesic benefit in other surgical fields without conferring a significant bleeding risk. Moreover, they are known for their opioid-sparing effect, which is favored due to the many side-effects of opioids. Therefore, we undertook a systematic review of the literature to investigate the question of analgesic benefit for NSAIDs compared to other analgesics, and found that they were not different than opioids at treating post-tonsillectomy pain. However, the evidence available to answer this question was often flawed, warranting further investigation into this question. We were also especially interested in investigating commonly used analgesics such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen, so we devised a protocol that included these two medications. This protocol compares ibuprofen and acetaminophen to acetaminophen alone and seeks to show a significant opioid-sparing effect for ibuprofen. Ultimately, this topic is important because of the frequency with which tonsillectomies are performed and the importance of pain control following this procedure.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)

abstract: Tonsillectomy is the surgery that completely removes the tonsil from the throat, and many children and adults undergo this procedure for various reasons including infections, sleeping problems and other. This surgery has several side effects including pain, dehydration and bleeding. Pain is the most frequent of all these side effects, and can result in significant disturbances in the recovery experience, as well as cause the patient to require hospital visits and admission. Therefore pain control is important, and can be achieved incorporating medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs into the post-operative analgesic regimen. We investigated the role that these medications can play in relieving pain in this setting, and found that these are no different than opioids, such as morphine and codeine, the latter of which have many side-effects including breathing problems, constipation, itchiness, nausea, and others. However, there wasn't enough evidence to make definitive conclusions regarding the amount of opioids that can be avoided with the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Therefore, we designed a protocol for a randomized study to better understand this area that is so far little understood. The results of this study could help optimize pain control measures following tonsillectomy, and change the practice of surgeons favoring an evidence-based approach.


title: Quintilian and the Progymnasmata

contributor:
Slater, W.J.
Roman Studies

subject: Quintilian's discussion of the progymnasmata, Institutio Oratoria, Roman Empire, classification, categorization, value,

abstract: The purpose of this dissertation is to examine Quintilian' s discussion of the progymnasmata, or elementary rhetorical exercises, in the Institutio Oratoria against an historical background. The study of evidence for the development of the exercises will therefore be important, as well as comparison with the Greek Progymnasmata of Aelius Theon, who was probably a contemporary of Quintilian, and of Hermogenes, Aphthonius and Nicolaus, who all lived during the period of the Roman Empire. Authors after the fifth century A.D. have not been considered, since the progymnasmata seem to have been fixed by then and collections appeared in the Byzantine period added no new exercises. The comparison of Quintilian's work with Greek texts has necessitated a good deal of Greek terminology, for which I apologize to the reader. Since the Greek progymnasmatists have a love of classification and categorization, the reader will also find discussion of rhetorical terms. At the same time, this study shows how often the ideas of Quintilian and Theon are similar, especially in regard to teaching method, which was not usually an interest of ancient rhetorical writers, and it seems likely that Quintilian was acquainted with Theon's work. It is also instructive to see Quintilian's affirmation of the value of the progymnasmata, at a time when they were not popular with Roman rhetoricians, as part of an educational tradition which continued for many centuries. It was hoped to add an appendix containing the parts of Theon's work which are missing from the Greek text but which are found in an Armenian translation of the sixth century A.D. Unfortunately, I have not yet found anyone who can translate sixth-century Armenian. The missing passages, when translated, should be of considerable worth, not only for understanding Theon's Progymnasmata, but also for throwing more light on Quintilian's use of these exercises, especially paraphrase, and praise and denunciation of laws, concerning which little is known.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Scrapbook Memories: History and Memory in Michael Ondaatje's Postmodernist Fiction

subject: Michael Ondaatje's postmodernist fiction, perception, view, memories, documents of history, theories,

abstract: The fragmented structures and stories of Michael Ondaatje's postmodernist fiction reflect our perception of the past as we view it through both personal memories and public documents of history. The mnemonic theories of F.c. Bartlett, Ulric Neisser and Roger Schank delineate the ways in which the human mind assembles and reassembles these fragments into useful realizations of the past. Combined with Ondaatje's historiographic metafiction, these theories describe the mnemonic workings of the mind as they reveal themselves in literature. Inherent in the view of the past which underlies the fiction and psychological theories invoked by this thesis is the realization that gaps and distortions are unavoidable in the reconstruction of the past. Working primarily within a theoretical framework provided by Linda Hutcheon and Roland Barthes, this thesis examines the way Ondaatje embraces these areas of ambiguity in the past as the primary locus of his imaginative writing in The Collected Works of Billy the Kid, coming Through Slaughter, In the Skin of a Lion, and The English Patient. Ultimately, the psychological and literary views of memory and history describe and predict Ondaatje's ability to re-animate the past into a living performative existence in the present.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: IDENTIFICATION OF NICOTINIC ACETYLCHOLINE RECEPTORS REQUIRED FOR BREAST TUMOURIGENESIS

contributor:
Hassell, John
Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

subject:
Breast cancer
nAChR

abstract: Breast cancer continues to be the most common diagnosed cancer among women, and radiation or chemotherapy generally fails to provide durable cure, especially in the context of advanced or metastatic disease. Tumours recurrence is believed to be driven by cancer stem cells, which resist anti-cancer therapy and survive to seed relapse after remission in breast cancer patients.  Small molecules inhibitors of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) target cancer stem cells, however, the precise nAChR required for breast cancer stem cell activity is unknown. Hence, we propose to test the capacity of shRNAs that target each individual nAChR to inhibit breast cancer stem cell activity.  Briefly, we performed a cancer stem cell based pooled lenti-vector shRNA screen, to identify receptors required for the propagation of breast cancer stem cell enriched cultures. Our results demonstrate that the suppression of multiple receptors can be detected and corresponding genes are essential for TIC viability and survival. We anticipate our approach will identify the relevant nAChR receptor required for breast cancer stem cell activity. Such receptors may represent useful drug targets for the development of anti-breast cancer stem cell therapeutics.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: G.E. Moore: Common Sense, Science, and Ethics

contributor:
Simpson, E.
Philosophy

subject: notion of common sense, ethical and non-ethical philosophy, scientific investigation, essentialism, dogmatism

abstract:
I begin by examining Moore's notion of common sense because it is my contention that his work is not neatly separated; rather, his ethical and non-ethical philosophy have common sense as an underlying theme. For Moore, common sense was not reducible to indubitable, cracker-barrel wisdom; it is popularized science, what would be a matter of common sense if we were to take the trouble to learn.
Moore's allegiance to science is the cord that connects his ethical and non-ethical work. In Principia Ethica, he attempts to introduce the spirit of scientific investigation into ethics. The 'naturalistic fallacy', to which special attention is given, is shown to be a guide to avoiding the error of essentialism, that is, of presuming that there is a unique good-making property or quality, common to all good things. Essentialism is rejected because it leads away from the open investigation characteristic of science, toward dogmatism. From this perspective, several popular criticisms of Moore's ethics are shown to be misguided.
In the last chapter, an interpretation of Moore's non-naturalism based on my understanding of the naturalistic fallacy is given, that is quite different from the one most commonly accepted.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Nature as a Communion of Subjects: The Implication for Ecological Ethics of Alfred North Whitehead's Philosophy of Nature

contributor:
Robertson, John
Philosophy

subject:
science
modern thought
rejecting spirituality
reality
Alfred North Whitehead

abstract:
 Science has exerted a tremendous influence on modern thought. This occurrence has brought with it its share of benefits and problems. Science has offered humankind the growing ability to understand and master nature. This benefit has also brought with it the critical problem of environmental destruction. Within its philosophical roots, science is tied to a cosmology that has alienated humanity from its 'spiritual' experience. This includes aesthetic and theological experience. Two extremes choices are possible: either to reject the scientific cosmology or to reject 'spirituality' as central to the functioning of reality. For those who wish to include the integrity of all human experience in a cosmology, the hope of synthesizing the scientific with the 'spiritual' stands as an ideal.

 The thought of Alfred North Whitehead is an attempt at such a synthesis of thought. This thesis examines Whitehead's metaphysical synthesis. It begins, in the first and second chapters, with an examination of what Whitehead understands as the problem. The first chapter deals with his description of the mechanist-materialist understanding of nature. The second chapter shows the deep problems which make such an understanding untenable. In the third chapter we explicate Whitehead's attempt at a more plausible metaphysical synthesis. Lastly, we apply Whitehead's thought to questions of ecological ethics. In this chapter we note how reintegrating the idea of a living nature occupied by things with 'inherent value' with a renewed assessment of the importance of human aesthetic and theistic experience, form together a mandate for the ethical treatment of nature.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Russell on Truth (1905-1910)

contributor:
Griffin, Nicholas
Philosophy

subject: problem, truth, theories of time, 1905, 1910, notion, controversies

abstract:
Before June 1905, Russell does not treat the problem of truth at length; but in the five subsquent years he devotes a number of important papers to the question: What is Truth? In his attempt to find the answer to this question in the following few years, he criticises and rejects all other prevalant theories of the time. In consequence Russell is able to establish his own view on the nature of truth in 1910.
The aim of this thesis is to present a unified view of the whole period, with its different aspects and their evaluation. This unified view will represent a transition from the initial indecision of 1905 to a definite formulation of the notion of 'truth' in 1910. In the controversies of this transitional period, certain defects of the then prevalant views have been pointed out, apart from those of Russell. Certain defects in Russell's criticisms have also been pointed out. Finally it has been shown that Russell's own positive notion of 'truth' is also not an adequate one.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Snobissimo by Pierre Daninos; An Exercise in Translation

contributor:
Jeeves, W.N.
Romance Languages

subject: meanings, translations, contextual conditions, semantics, syntax

abstract:
Abstract Not Provided
Thesis
Master of Arts (MA)


title: Liberating Female Identity and Narrative from the Confines of Masculine Discourse in Alice Munro's Lives of Girls and Women

contributor:
Ferns, H.J.
English

subject: contemporary, feminist, literary, theory, position of privilege, men, objectification, fantasy, love, identity

abstract:
An examination of contemporary feminist literary theory reveals that man's traditional association with culture has created a position of privilege from which men are encouraged to write, while women have been denied access to language and, therefore, must escape imprisoning conceptions of femininity before they are able to envision themselves as creators of culture. In Alice Munro's Lives of Girls and Women (1971), Del Jordan is a young woman and developing artist who struggles against objectification to achieve a sense of her own
creative autonomy. Del's quest for authorial power effectively marginalizes her in Jubilee. However, she welcomes the freedom implied by this marginalization and encourages it through acts of social indiscretion and, later, through sexuality. Del's quest for freedom through sexuality ultimately parallels her quest for a language, or narrative voice, which challenges the confines of masculine discourse. As Del matures beyond the illusions generated by fantasy and love, she realizes that her own sense of identity and her creativity are the only true sources of salvation. The creative vision that Del fosters throughout the novel acknowledges and reconciles paradoxes, and, thereby, rejects the binary schemes and imprisoning labels that patriarchy has traditionally used to limit and contain female identity.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: The Non-Foundational Epistemology of Nicholas Wolterstoff

contributor:
Richardson, Kurt
Christian Studies

subject:
Nicholas Wolterstorff
Reformed Epistemololgy
Immanuel Kant
John Locke
perception
God

abstract:
  Nicholas Wolterstorff, working within the context of Reformed Epistemology, has come to an understanding of knowledge which more accurately reflects the process of knowledge and belief that people experience than the foundational system to which he responds. He reacts to Immanuel Kant and John Locke, using arguments put forward by Thomas Reid, and building on these arguments with his own understanding.

 Kant, Wolterstorff argues, had put distance between a person and what she could perceive about and attribute to God. Since she cannot have an experience of God, she experience5what Wolterstorff calls the 'Kantian agony'-she cannot discuss God without first discussing God's existence.

 Locke, Wolterstorff argues, had put distance between a person and what she could believe. Locke, to whom Wolterstorff responds quite extensively, had argued that a person must use reason to govern her beliefs, and base her system of knowledge on propositions which can be known with certainty.

 Reid responded to this system, which he called the 'theory of ideas', arguing that it entailed a skepticism about the world which no one could live by. He argued that people must assume things about the world, such as that it exists, in order to be able to live and work in it. Responding directly to the way that the way of ideas theorists understood perception.

 Wolterstorff takes this understanding of perception and Reid's notion of belief-producing dispositions, and sets up a non-foundation account of knowledge which has room for religious faith. His system is a situational system, in which every person must govern their beliefs based on the system of beliefs in which they find themselves. This system, he argues more accurately reflects the way in which people come to knowledge, rather then the Kantian or Lockean (foundational) system.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: A Critical Examination of the Volitional Theory of Action

contributor:
Noxon, James
Philosophy

subject: volitional theory of action, outmoded account, human action, performs, analysis, behaviour,

abstract:
The volitional theory of action has recently been assailed as an outmoded account of human action, while attempts have been made to preserve the theory on grounds which side-step the traditional difficulties. Both approaches to the theory have left it without a coherent expression. This thesis is an attempt to give a coherent theoretical foundation to the theory and to effect its critical evaluation.
Preceding a discussion of the theory is a historical appreciation of its tradition, and this is used as a backdrop for viewing two aspects of the theory which serve today as its paradigms. The one is an analysis of human action in terms of a volition which is considered as something which an agent performs, and the other is an analysis of human action in terms of a volition connected causally to an item of behavior, The incompatibility of these aspects is indicated, and an attempt is made to locate them within a wider theoretical structure. This is done by distinguishing between atomic actions and instrumental actions and by attributing to the theory two definitions of an individual human action which preserve these paradigms and which account for both sorts of actions.
The final segment of the thesis is concerned with a critical dismissal of the theory. The stock arguments against the theory are first defeated, end it is then argued that one aspect of the theory fails to account for forbearances and that the other aspect does not provide an adequate account of atomic actions.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: The Capturing of Multitudes of things at Present Fugitive: Psychobiography and Bertrand Russell's Creative Quest

contributor:
Brink, Andrew
English

subject: current trends, systematic psychology, methodological,

abstract:
As an alternative to current trends in literary criticism, this thesis argues that the rigorous methods of obtaining knowledge as well as the concepts and insights developed in systematic psychology and psychoanalysis can and should be applied to both creative writers and their texts. Though the relationship between writer and text is a complicated one, a synthesis of well documented evidence from psychology can illuminate confusing aspects of the personality infused in the work and can thus move the critic closer to scientific literary truth, without dehumanizing literature.
The introduction outlines some of the reasons why psychological findings and insights should be useful and why there has not been widespread application of them in the humanities. Biography in particular, as an art form, can benefit from being psychologically informed. Conversely, the discipline of psychology has much to learn from the in-depth study of extraordinary individual lives" The first chapter provides a more detailed inquiry into the methodological problems associated with psychobiography and suggests some applications of scientific method to biography. The example of Virginia Woolf, whose life and works are particularly intricately connected, will be foremost amongst those used to demonstrate the specific problem of hypothesis testing. Some of the proposed strategies will be executed in the second chapter through a case study of the early life of Bertrand Russell, who provides a good example of some of the difficulties likely to be encountered, as well as the advantages of a psychological approach, especially since his life spans the entire development of modern psychology. The hypothesis about the origins cf Russell's creative impulse will be subsequently tested in the light of his creative works in the period from 1904 to 1914.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: DISCOVERY AND CHARACTERIZATION OF INHIBITORS OF BACTERIAL METABOLISM

title: CHEMICAL GENETICS AND METABOLIC SUPPRESSION PROFILING IDENTIFY NOVEL INHIBITORS OF BACTERIAL BIOSYNTHETIC PATHWAYS

contributor:
Brown, Eric
Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

subject: Antibiotic, Drug discovery, Chemical Biology, Bacteria, Metabolism, Mechanism of action, Small molecule inhibitors, High-throughput screening, Enzymology, Genetics, Bacterial physiology

abstract: The alarming rise of antibacterial drug resistance and the dwindling supply of novel antibiotics highlight the need for innovative approaches in combating bacterial infections. Traditionally, antibacterial drug discovery campaigns have largely been conducted in rich media. Such growth conditions are not representative of the host environment and render many metabolic pathways, otherwise needed for survival and infection, dispensable. Such pathways have been overlooked in conventional drug discovery campaigns despite their validity as potential antibacterial targets. The work presented in this thesis focuses on the development and validation of a screening strategy for the identification and mechanism of action determination of novel inhibitors of metabolic pathways in bacteria under nutrient-limited conditions. This screen led to the identification of MAC168425, MAC173979 and MAC13772 as inhibitors that target glycine metabolism, p-aminobenzoic acid biosynthesis and biotin biosynthesis, respectively. Moreover, it established this approach as a general platform that can be applied for different organisms with synthetic or natural product libraries. Additional mechanistic studies of the biotin biosynthesis inhibitor, MAC13772, resulted in solving the crystal structure of BioA in complex with MAC13772. Analysis of the co-structure confirmed our proposed mode of inhibition and provided information for strategies for rational drug design. Investigation of the antibacterial activity of MAC13772 revealed its potency against a number of pathogens. Furthermore, we show how MAC13772 acts synergistically with rifampicin in clearing growing mycobacterial cultures. The potential of this inhibitor as a lead for preclinical pharmacokinetic studies and for antibacterial drug development is discussed. We also discuss our current efforts to develop a metabolomic platform for the characterization of novel antibacterials that can be used in concert with our current approach to chart the metabolic response of bacteria to chemical perturbants and to generate testable hypotheses regarding the mode of action of novel inhibitors of bacterial metabolism.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Heorot and the Plundered Hoard: A Study of Beowulf

contributor:
Lee, Alvin A.
English

subject: Beowulf, cultural force, Old English literature, typological, context, biblical, liturgical texts,

abstract:
During the age in which Beowulf was written, Christianity was the prevailing cultural force. Since early medieval religion was rooted in biblical typology, the principles of which were widely disseminated by the liturgy of the Church, we may assume that the resulting Weltanschauung also influenced Old English literature. While it is increasingly being recognized that the poetry of the Anglo-Saxons is the product of the typological imagination, Beowulf is usually regarded as somewhat of an exception. Until now, no typological study of the poem as a whole has appeared.
In order to interpret its major symbols and illuminate its perennial cruces, Beowulf needs to be studied in its literary context. An understanding of the poem is therefore promoted by a consideration of its relationship to the literature of the typology-based tradition: other Old English poetry (which is mostly biblical or hagiographic in theme), the liturgical texts (in which the Scriptures, especially the Psalms, are the prominent sources), as well as the exegetical and homiletical writings of the Church Fathers and their medieval successors. The soundness of taking such material into account in the study of Beowulf is demonstrated by the fact that this method yields not only explanations of many individual elements but also a unified interpretation of the poem in its entirety. The meaning of Heorot, the goldhall, can thus be determined by comparing it to structures that are discussed in similar terms in the literature known to the Anglo-Saxons --for example, the temple or the newly created earth when it is described as a building. As a result it can be shown that, contrary to what some have argued, neither the perfect beginning of the hall nor the misery subsequently caused by the monster Grendel is evidence of the sinful pride of Hrothgar, its builder. Heorot's typological --and, hence, also baptismal --connotations lead us to the conclusion that Hrothgar's seemingly reprehensible inertia in the face of Grendel's attacks is entirely appropriate in one who, like the mournful ones in the Old English Advent, can only await deliverance. Adiscussion of the spring motifs in the poem helps to identify Beowulf as the heroic redeemer which the situation calls for. Numerous other details, when examined in a typological perspective, help to confirm this identity.
Furthermore, Beowulf can be defended against those who cast aspersions on his desire to defeat the dragon and win its gold for his people. The role of the thief provides important clues to the meaning of Beowulf's own spoiling of the dragon's hoard. It can be shown that Christ's rifling of the devil's hoard constitutes the paradigm. Like Beowulf's cleansing of Heorot, the plundering is a redemptive activity. Moreover, since the poet presents it as a doomsday motif, it forms an extension of the Flood and baptism typology to which he repeatedly alludes in the earlier presentation of Beowulf's fights with the Grendel kin.
Time and again the Beowulf poet's choice of words and details reveals that he practised his craft within a tradition in which his creativeness was bound and disciplined by the objectiveness of a particular structure of images. We perceive in all the rich variety of his work the unifying effect of the typological imagination. It is in the typological mode of Beowulf that the key to its meaning and artistry is to be found.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Language and Ethnicity: A Study of Bilingualism, Ethnic Identity, and Ethnic Attitudes

contributor:
Pineo, Peter C.
Sociology

subject: bilingualism, ethnic identity, ethnic attitudes, demographic context, prejudice, internalization, operationalization

abstract:
Research on bilingualism in a number of social science disciplines has reported an association between bilingualism, ethnic identity, and ethnic attitudes - causality has often been attributed to bilingualism. This research has been criticized on methodological grounds. There is a dearth of information concerning the relationship between bilingualism, ethnic identity, and ethnic attitudes in specific communities, regions, or societies since there have been very few studies of the social psychological aspects of bilingualism based on survey research methods. Yet another critique of previous research is that the theoretical framework in which reported findings have been couched has remained untested or that they have remained implicit. These theoretical underpinnings are explored and assessed.
The data for the thesis came from a sample survey of greater Montreal conducted in 1973, from a survey of the Ottawa Census Metropolitan Area conducted by the York Survey Research Center in late 1974 and early 1975, and from a secondary analysis of the Ethnic Relations Study, carried out for the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism in 1965. The analytic methods used are crosstabulation and partial correlation.
It was found in the analysis of all three surveys, which were carried out at different points in time and which used slightly different measures of the independent and dependent variable, that the association between bilingualism and ethnic identity is not strong, and that it varies from one mother tongue group to the other. This indicates that causality cannot be attributed to bilingualism. The analysis of the Ethnic Relations Study revealed that with intergroup contact and demographic context held constant, the relationship between bilingualism and ethnic identity is extremely weak. Bilinguals, it emerged, tend to identify with both language groups mainly where they are in contact with the other group and in contexts where the other group constitutes the demographic majority. With regard to the relationship between bilingualism and ethnic attitudes, it was found that there were weak associations between bilingualism and social distance, and bilingualism and ethnic prejudice. However, these all but disappeared when intergroup contact and demographic context were controlled. The theoretical debate, which has continued over the past several decades, concerning whether or not causality of these relationships can be attributed to bilingualism may still continue; however, the evidence presented in the dissertation indicates that' causality cannot be attributed to bilingualism. Further, unicausal social psychological theories attributing such findings to the effects of the internalization of a second linguistic system would seem to be manifestly inadequate. Future theoretical efforts in this area of research ought to be of the kind which span disciplinary boundaries, assume multicausality, and lend themselves to operationalization. It ·is suggested that group membership theory may provide a fruitful point of departure.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Scheduling and Resource Management in Wireless Networks with Bidirectional Relaying Links

contributor:
Zhao, Dongmei
Electrical and Computer Engineering

abstract:
In this thesis we study transmission scheduling and resource allocations for wireless networks with bidirectional relaying links (WNBRL). Each link has two end nodes, which communicate through a relay node that can use network coding (NC) to forward packets between them.

We first study an ad hoc WNBRL (Chapter 2), where a single frequency channel is shared by all the transmissions, and therefore co-channel interference is a main problem that requires a scheduling solution to carefully coordinate the transmitting nodes and control their transmission power. Power distributions and time slot allocations are jointly considered, and the objective is to maximize the system throughput. Both digital NC and analog NC are considered. An optimization problem is first formulated, followed by distributed scheduling schemes.

Next, we study a WNBRL with multiple frequency channels, where the emphasis is to jointly allocate frequency channels and time slots for the transmissions of individual nodes. Two objectives are considered, one is to maximize the long-term transmission throughput of the system (Chapter 3), and another is to provide proportional fairness of the average throughput among all the links in the system (Chapter 4). For each objective, both optimization formulation is provided and heuristic solutions are proposed.

We then consider a WNBRL that allows the relay nodes to opportunistically use NC and pure one-way relaying, and study the scheduling and resource allocation with an objective to maximize the total transmission throughput (Chapter 5). Both centralized and distributed topologies are considered. Optimum scheduling is solved, together with different heuristic solutions.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: The Invisible Companion: A Critical Study of Joan Lavis MacDonald

contributor:
King, James
English

subject:
history
biography
group of seven
canadian studies
cultural nationalism
cultural history

abstract:
The purpose of this project is to establish Joan Lavis MacDonald (1871–1962) as the intellectual and philosophical companion of her spouse, Canadian painter J.E.H. MacDonald. Her journals and articles are central resources in this reconstruction of the life and circumstances of a woman living in southern Ontario, Canada at the end of the Victorian-era. By the dawn of the twentieth century, urbanization, industrialization, opportunities for women to pursue post-secondary education, and social reformations found Joan Lavis at a point of conflict between the newly-available educational opportunities and traditions of homemaking, and the thesis is divided accordingly. Although the points of conflict are examined separately, the thesis nonetheless affirms Joan Lavis MacDonald's ability to combine the two by drawing on cultural and art movements like transcendentalism and the arts and crafts movement.
The thesis moves beyond the male-dominated sphere in which the Group of Seven operated to examine Joan Lavis MacDonald as a contributor, and in turn influenced by, the distinctly Canadian domestic environment that permeates J.E.H. MacDonald and the Group of Seven’s insistence that nature is synonymous with Canaian-ness. This creates additional space for women in a national history intertwined with ideals of masculinity that are in turn fabricated by men, and studies an important art movement from outside the mythologized individuals and locations that have become indivisible from it. Thus, the thesis also creates a new avenue by which J.E.H. MacDonald may be studied and understood.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Investigating the Impact of Electronic Prescribing System User Interface Design on Prescribing Accuracy

contributor:
Holbrook, Anne
Health Research Methodology

subject:
e-prescribing
usability
user interface design
factorial design experiment

abstract:
Background: Electronic prescribing systems are designed to aid in the complex process of prescribing by providing patient information and decision support at the point of care. Successful implementation and effectiveness depend on a variety of factors, including usability and user interface design, which influence how the information and decision support are relayed to users. Poorly designed systems have been found to be associated with medication errors.

Methods: We conducted a factorial design study to investigate the impact of screen density, highlighting, and placement of information, on the accuracy of prescribing when using an e-prescribing system. Study sessions were held during clinical pharmacology educational rounds, where residents and medical students answered simulated prescribing scenarios presented on various e-prescribing system interface configurations. Assignment of prescribing scenarios to interface configurations and presentation order were randomized between study sessions. Participants were also asked about their preferences for specific user interface configurations.

Results: A total of 66 participants completed 844 prescribing cases, with 583 (69%) cases answered correctly. The presence of highlighting was associated with correct prescribing decisions (p-value = 0.001), with 181 out of 250 (72.4%) prescribing scenarios answered correctly on interfaces with highlighting of key clinical information, as opposed to 156 out of 242 (64.5%) on interface configurations without. Low screen density and central placement of information were not found to be statistically significant predictors of prescribing accuracy. The presence of highlighting was the only factor that the majority of participants (80.3%) preferred, but no effect was found when comparing prescribing accuracy on preferred versus non-preferred interface configurations.

Conclusions: The factorial design methodology developed is a novel approach for efficient and objective evaluation of multiple user interface design factors in one study. Evidence-based design and usability principles are needed to enhance the design and appropriate use of e-prescribing systems as usability problems continue to be one of the primary reasons for dissatisfaction and poor levels of adoption.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Themes of Death in Roman Religion and Poetry

contributor:
McKay, A.G.
Roman Studies

subject: themes, death, after-life, poetry, Imperial ages, Roman literature,

abstract: The thesis investigates certain themes relating to death and after-life in the poetry of the late Republican and early Imperial ages within the wider context of Roman literature and religion. The emphasis on the evidence of literature rather than on that of epigraphy and art was prompted by the_ fact that the latter are by nature more static and formalized than the former. The investigation has suggested that the Roman poets register and enlarge, as a rule, the ideas on death and after-life current in their time and thus promote a tradition which can be traced back, through the Greek classical age, to Homer and Hesiod. Although genuine Roman concepts and feelings persist, the general impression is that we have to do with a body of Hellenistic ideas. The concept of the Di Manes seems to· preserve something of the early Roman feelings of respect and fear towards the souls of the deceased, but it is found enriched with new and varied connotations. We can hardly speak of native Roman divinities of the underworld, with the exception perhaps of Orcus. Instead, the Greek figures of Dis (Pluto), Proserpina (Persephone), and Hecate, are very prominent in Roman poetry. This applies also to the demonic figures of Hades like Charon, Cerberus, the Erinyes (Furies) and others. Nor could the Latin authors ignore the imaginative topography of the Greek lower world. Vergil gives to the traditional theme of catabasis, the descent of a hero to Hades, scime Roman colouring in Aeneid 6, but on the whole the descent of Aeneas is simply the fullest example of a motif popular with Greek and Latin authors. Roman poetry also reflects most of the ancient ideas about the destiny of the human soul after death. Moreover, hero-worship and divine honours paid to mortals seem to have found a fertile soil in the traditional Roman concept of the holy ancestors (D! Parentes). The fusion of Greek and Roman elements in this area is best expressed in the works of Vergil. In sum, the investigation confirms the impression of the fluency and mobility of religious ideas in the Roman-Hellenistic world of the first century B.C.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: A Treatment of McTaggart's Rejection of Time

contributor:
Griffin, N.
Philosophy

subject:
McTaggart
metaphysical theory
account of change
rejection of time

abstract:
 An account of salient conceptions shared among McTaggart's contemporaries is offered to maintain the interpretive hypothesis that McTaggart's rejection of time may be a consequence of a more general metaphysical theory.

 Yet though McTaggart's rejection of time may follow from a more general account, the more general account may be false. In what follows we consider the possibility of generating complete lists from given wholes, as opposed to the practice of generating wholes by enumeration or induction. Historical support is offered for this scheme, followed by a distillation of McTaggart's doctrines, a brief linkage with mereological treatments of time and geometry, and an exegesis of McTaggart's unique account of change. Finally a treatment of McTaggart's argument for the rejection of time is offered which seeks to show that McTaggart's infamous conclusion has largely been misunderstood because of McTaggart's unfortunate emphasis on the verbal implications of his doctrines and the consequent subversion of his positive account of infinite divisibility, inclusion and the relation between descriptions and wholes.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)