The posthuman body in performance

Abstract available: p.1

Open your eyes: an essay on color ontology

This essay is an exercise in philosophy. It asks, “what are the colors?”, and ultimately provides a primitivist answer. The essay has four parts. The first is entitled “Stage setting” and has two subparts. In 1.1, I provide an explanation of how we should understand the question of which this essay is concerned. The goal of 1.2 is to provide an adequate taxonomy of views. Part 2 is entitled “Dispositional views” and has three subparts. In 2.1, I argue against appearance dispositional views. In 2.2, I argue against reflectance dispositionalism. Finally in 2.3, I provide a general argument against the colors being dispositions. Part 3 is entitled “Categorical views” and has three subparts. In 3.1, I argue against micro-structuralism. In 3.2, I argue against Cohen’s relationalism. Finally in 3.3, I argue for and defend non-relational primitivism. In the last major section of this essay I look at whether we should give up on the colors actually being instantiated. This section has only one subpart, and in it I reject the argument that the best explanation of mass disagreement about the colors is that irrealism is true

Open your eyes: an essay on color ontology

This essay is an exercise in philosophy. It asks, “what are the colors?”, and ultimately provides a primitivist answer. The essay has four parts. The first is entitled “Stage setting” and has two subparts. In 1.1, I provide an explanation of how we should understand the question of which this essay is concerned. The goal of 1.2 is to provide an adequate taxonomy of views. Part 2 is entitled “Dispositional views” and has three subparts. In 2.1, I argue against appearance dispositional views. In 2.2, I argue against reflectance dispositionalism. Finally in 2.3, I provide a general argument against the colors being dispositions. Part 3 is entitled “Categorical views” and has three subparts. In 3.1, I argue against micro-structuralism. In 3.2, I argue against Cohen’s relationalism. Finally in 3.3, I argue for and defend non-relational primitivism. In the last major section of this essay I look at whether we should give up on the colors actually being instantiated. This section has only one subpart, and in it I reject the argument that the best explanation of mass disagreement about the colors is that irrealism is true

The Human Factor and the Development of a Second Language.

The focus of this study is to investigate how motivation, language learning strategies, and transfer of first language (L1) knowledge of grammar influence the learner’s second language proficiency level. The study was done in a Thames Valley University undergraduate Spanish beginners course (n = 96). The central question on which the research is based can be given as: “What student characteristics have the potential to influence the ultimate level of Spanish language achievement in particular in integrated classes of full time undergraduate (FTU) students and part time associated (PTA) students? This exploratory ex post facto study in social science is approached in a linguistic and educational ontology. The analysis of variance ANOVA was carried out to find the differences in the mean scores between the dependent variables across groups and gender. In addition, a Pearson product moment correlation was employed to find the relationship between L1 knowledge of grammar and an achievement test. A multiple regression analysis was used to investigate the relationship between the total scores in Spanish and the dependent variable, using a Part correlation to see the shared variance of these variables. The results show that there are only statistically significant differences in the mean scores between the full time undergraduate group and the part time associated group in relation to motivation, language learning strategies (LLS) and L1 knowledge of grammar. On the contrary, no significant differences were found between interaction with gender and groups. The results show high correlation among the dependent variable and the tests. However, there is no statistical significance among the tests for the FTU or the PTA groups. The results show statistical significant correlation among the total scores in Spanish and the L1 knowledge of grammar, Cognitive-LLS (C-LLS), and integrative motivation for the FTU; and L1 knowledge of grammar and C-LLS for the PTA It was concluded that the PTA group achieve a higher proficiency level than the FTU group after the same period of time learning Spanish. In addition, L1 knowledge of grammar has a strong influence on L2 proficiency level. Integrative motivation and metacognitive LLS (M-LLS) enhances second language (L2) proficiency level

SATISFACTION ASSESSMENT OF TEXTUAL SOFTWARE ENGINEERING ARTIFACTS

A large number of software projects exist and will continue to be developed that have textual requirements and textual design elements where the design elements should fully satisfy the requirements. Current techniques to assess the satisfaction of requirements by corresponding design elements are largely manual processes that lack formal criteria and standard practices. Software projects that require satisfaction assessment are often very large systems containing several hundred requirements and design elements. Often these projects are within a high assurance project domain, where human lives and millions of dollars of funding are at stake. Manual satisfaction assessment is expensive in terms of hours of human effort and project budget. Automated techniques are not currently applied to satisfaction assessment. This dissertation addresses the problem of automated satisfaction assessment for English, textual documents and the generation of candidate satisfaction assessments that can then be verified by a human analyst with far less effort and time expenditure than is required to produce a manual satisfaction assessment. Validation results to date show that automated satisfaction methods produce candidate satisfaction assessments sufficient to greatly reduce the effort required to assess the satisfaction of textual requirements by textual design elements

New Zealand women in the design industry

The aim of this research project has been to interview women working in and around the design industry. From the transcribed material I have explored and analysed their experiences and perceptions, in order to gain a better understanding of what it is like to be a New Zealand woman in the design industry. Of particular interest to me in the analysis, is the notion of 'difference' or gender difference. I heard repeated statements that 'gender is irrelevant', yet nearly all the women I have spoken to have been able to identify aspects of the design process and of the design industry that they have experienced differently because they are female. In this thesis I have explored the nature of this ' gender-difference'; I have examined where it exists within discourses of design and how it affects women's public and private live s. Through a poststructuralist analysis I have considered how this notion of 'difference' is articulated by New Zealand women in design; and what it means to resist or affirm gender difference in relation to a feminist ontology or way of being in the world. Finally, I have considered what the design industry is like as a workplace for female employees. This is based on my understanding of gender difference in design as perceived and experienced by the women I talked to. I have discovered that there are gender differences in design, but there are differences within these differences. I believe women working in the design industry reject claims of gender difference yet articulate difference. For women in the design industry, their ontology, or 'way of being in the world' is complex and made up of a weave of differences, that is, in their articulations of the design industry they describe many differences between men and women, between women, and even within their own experiences

ORGANISATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY IN NATIONAL SPORTS FEDERATIONS IN EGYPT

Organisational sustainability is associated with the concept of organisational development, which emanates from the resources and capabilities that the organisation has in place. Sustainable organisations possess a strategic system, which is reliant on sustainable resources, and good capabilities that lead to strategic success. This study sets out the extent to which the Egyptian National Olympic Committee (ENOC) and its members the National Federations (NFs) are able to create organisational sustainability. The purpose of this research is to empirically study organisational sustainability and to provide insight into its creation within NFs. It has used a mixed-methods strategy that involved two phases. The first, a thematic analysis, identified the characteristics of the sustainable National Federation. It was undertaken by carrying out semi-structured interviews with ENOC and NF board members, experts, and NF consultants to generate the benchmarks or the requirements needed for sustainable National Federations. The second phase used the Readiness Assessment Tool (RAT) (Robinson and Minikin, 2011) in investigating the organisational development pillars based on the resources and capabilities of the Egyptian NFs (organisations that are responsible for developing the overarching performance of the ENOC). The findings indicated that the NFs included in this study need to develop further in terms of resources and capabilities in order to improve their readiness for sustainability. At their current levels of development, they do not exhibit the necessary or sufficient characteristics to become sustainable sports organisations. In other words, the research reveals that the NFs under investigation are not sufficiently developed to establish organisational sustainability due to their limited resources and low levels of capabilities. The study contributes to the body of knowledge by providing a better understanding of organisational sustainability in NFs. In addition, it creates the characteristics, or the requirements needed for a sustainable NF. Furthermore, it offers the first evidence to suggest that Egyptian NFs need more improvements in terms of resources and capabilities to create a strong sports system leading to sustainable success.Mansoura University, Egyp

Kaleidoscope : fictional genres and probable worlds

If fictional narratives do indeed create alternate possible worlds, and these alternate possible worlds are both enacted by and embody generic differences, as possible worlds narratology suggests, what happens when the genre of a novel changes as the text unfolds? Does a change of genre equate to a change of fictional narrative world, or a change within the fictional narrative world? If worldlikeness is recognised as a prerequisite for immersion, do genre shifts necessarily entail a disruption of immersion, and is such a potential disruption temporary or lasting? From a creative practice perspective, how and why would a writer steer their novel from one generic orientation to another? And from a possible-worlds theoretical perspective, what does the analysis of such genre changes reveal about the process of identifying genre, the role of genre in the creation of fictional narrative worlds, and the effectiveness of the concept of possibility in accounting for generic differences? This project investigates these questions through creative experimentation and critical examination with the aim of uncovering new insights into the fundamental nature of both genre and fictional narrative worlds. The novel Kaleidoscope attempts to unravel the strategies involved in implementing changes of genre within texts, testing the relationship between genre and immersion within a many-worlds ontological structure and finding significant gaps in existing understandings of what genre is and does. Informed by the findings of this creative process, the critical exegesis applies a possible-worlds informed analysis of genre to the genre-shifting works of César Aira, uncovering not only a greater understanding of the functions and functioning of genre but also important limitations in current narratological approaches to generic analysis. By attempting to apply Marie-Laure Ryan’s seminal semantic typology of fiction to the analysis of Aira’s genre-shifting works, possibility alone is found to provide an insufficient basis for generic differentiation, while the concept of probability – largely overlooked within contemporary narratology – emerges as a vital conceptual tool. The identification of probability emphasis, the generically probable and improbable, and probable accessibility relations in the analysis of genre-shifting texts reveals the importance of probability, not only to analysis, but in the development of fictional worlds. Through the interaction of creative practice and critical examination, these worlds are found to depend as much on the probable as the possible, complicating current conceptualisations of fiction in terms of possible worlds and suggesting that much remains to be discovered about the role and relevance of genre, the relationship between worldlikeness and immersion, and the probability, fictionality, and worldness of fictional narrative worlds

Exploring the Influence of Zimbabwean Teachers' and Learners' Attitudes Towards English on Language Use in Primary Classrooms

This study uses a postcolonial sociocultural theoretical framework to investigate the influence of teachers’ and learners’ attitudes towards the national language-in-education policy of using English as medium of instruction on language use in primary classrooms in Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwe national language-in-education policy requires use of learners’ mother tongue as medium of instruction in the first three years of primary education (grades 1-3) with English being taught as a subject. From grade four onwards, English becomes the medium of instruction although the majority of learners at primary school level have limited competence in the language. Methodology: Within the overall postcolonial sociocultural framework, the study utilises an interpretive methodology to explore primary teachers’ and learners’ attitudes towards English. Interviews and lesson observations are used to collect data from fourteen teachers and thirty six learners from five schools in the Harare Region of Zimbabwe. Findings: Findings are derived from a thematic analysis of interview and observation data. The study establishes that: i)While most teachers share the same home language as the learners they teach, because of language-in-education policy, they may/do not feel that they can call upon their knowledge of these learners’ home language to support them with their learning. ii)Teachers and learners are in favour of using English as medium of instruction because they perceive that parents are in favour of using English. iii)Teachers and learners do not consider Shona a suitable vehicle for teaching and learning because tests are administered in English and Shona is perceived to lack the necessary technical terms needed to express concepts tested in examinations. In addition teachers and learners are reluctant to use Shona as medium of instruction because learners have limited competence in the variety of Shona used in schools. iv)Although there is widespread support for English-only policies for communication in classrooms there is minimal adherence to the policies by both teachers and learners in all schools. v)Code-switching by teachers and learners occurs frequently in classes despite official opposition. Conclusions, Contributions and Recommendations: The study concludes by suggesting grounds for re-thinking the language-in-education policy framework in Zimbabwe in order to allow for the complementary use of English and learners’ mother tongue at primary school level so that learning opportunities for learners with limited competence in English are maximised. The study makes a contribution to theory by showing that postcolonial sociocultural theory can be used successfully to explore how the historical context can help to unravel some of the contradictions that manifest themselves in contexts where English is used as medium of instruction alongside other languages

Competing realities, diverse needs : an inter-disciplinary approach to religious engagement with HIV prevention and care

The World Health Organisation/ UNAIDS and the UK's HIV-related public health policies are premised on universal access to information, treatment and care. With a focus on wider determinants of health, such rights-based approaches and their associated commitment to consistent HIV prevention messages and effective care include also a requirement to be respectful of and sensitive to religio-cultural beliefs and practices. There is evidence that access to HIV information and care can be restricted by the moral codes, beliefs and teachings which determine some religious responses to HIV, those, for example, which address issues of sexuality and gender, identity and belonging, authority and power. With a particular interest in a UK context of religio-cultural diversity, this study asks whether existing strategic public health responses to HIV prevention and care are adequate to the multiplicity of psychosocial realities and needs of a diverse community. The study follows comparative interpretative approaches and draws on a range of theoretical perspectives, primarily those of sociology, anthropology and psychology. It identifies the potential for dialogical compatabilities between public health practice and practical theology. Gathering and analysing data and discourse this interdisciplinary, qualitative investigation examines religion-informed responses to HIV prevention and care. With a small-scale localised study positioning the content and authority of religious belief on responses to HIV prevention and care in a UK Midlands city of high religio- cultural diversity, the primary and secondary data are 'grounded' in the experience of a local community. In its tracing of the multiple realities of HIV in contexts of global and local religio - cultural diversity, the study finds that global dimensions of HIV touch the local in unavoidable and diverse ways Religion-defined identity and belonging are valued by people affected by HIV and the communities of which they are part, but the stigmatizing impact of HIV, often reinforced by religious beliefs and teachings, generates anxieties about the disclosure of a diagnosis, the initiation of open discussion and access to HIV information and care. Constraints on the access of sexual minorities, young people and women can raise particular concern. In situations of diverse need and contested reality quests for coherent meaning, identity and belonging confront a public health preference for consistent HIV health messages and for accessible and effective programmes of HIV information, support and care. The study evidences diverse and often competing perspectives on HIV and highlights the need for health and social care services and religious groups to have greater awareness of the extensive complexities which the realities of diversity bring to HIV prevention policy design and service delivery. Complexity theory and practical theology inform a new and integrative model for theological, epidemiological and public health partnering through which the inadequacies in both religion-informed responses to HIV and public health HIV prevention and care policy and service delivery can be addressed.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo