Expanding the metaphor: a pragmatic application of hospitality theory to the field of writing studies

This dissertation examines the relationship between hospitality theory and Writing Studies. Contemporary Writing Studies scholarship approaches hospitality through a traditional lens viewing it separately as either theory, practice or pedagogy for the composition classroom (Dale Jacobs, Richard Haswell, Janice Haswell, Glen Blalock, Matthew Heard, Joanna Lin Want). As the practice and pedagogy of hospitality are promoted in Writing Studies, the binary metaphor of the host and guest provides the dominant way of discussing this work. In this binary metaphor the instructor is often designated the host, and the students the guests. This configuration obscures the important influence of the university upon the classroom relationship. I argue that recognizing the additional influence of the university on the relationship between the instructor and students is necessary because it impacts the instructor's ability to act as a host. Following pragmatic influences like William James and Ann E. Berthoff, I argue for a disruption of the binary metaphor of hospitality. Returning to hospitality theory I focus on Levinas' identification of a third position in the hospitable metaphor. Using this third position, which for this conversation I call the "Preparer," to apply a triadic metaphor of hospitality to the composition classroom reveals how the institution must create the conditions necessary for the instructor to act as the host. The triadic metaphor of hospitality supplies an analytical perspective to be applied beyond the classroom to the additional work of Writing Studies as well. Viewing the position of the writing program administrator in the context of the triadic metaphor untangles the multiple, often conflicting, positions the administrator occupies. The peripheral position of the writing center at the edges of the university provides a space in which the writing center administrator can create an environment in which a hospitable encounter between the consultant and writer is possible

Information/knowledge design in contextual hypermedia systems

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1998.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 51-55).As we begin to comprehend the ways we interact with the data/information/knowledge structures which construct our individual perception of reality, we see a shift from the dyadic Cartesian method of reading our environment, to a triadic, or Systems View, which accounts for individual perceptual readings and individual realities. This shift in thinking relates that we are dynamic, self-organizing, complex systems which form an individual perception of our environment based on the relationships we identify between ourselves and the interrelated systems of data/information around us. Recognizing this shift, the research project associated with this thesis, utilizes interactive digital multimedia, or hypermedia, in the design of a set of tools with which to identify and illustrate these interrelated systems. It is the author's belief that once identified, these dynamic relationships will provide an ideal source of user-defined navigation of the group of interrelated objects. The dynamic qualities of hypermedia, which provide the author different modes of linking information of many different data types to one another, making it an ideal venue for the illustration and navigation of systemic relationships. Employing two and three dimensional methods of visual and spatial representation, integrated with in various combinations of graphic organizational models, the product of th is thesis will provide the user an information-rich environment in which to identify and navigate the associative relationships found amongst a group of physical objects, in th is case furniture of modern design. The thesis also looks ahead to speculate on the impact of emerging technologies such as Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and Tangible User Interfaces, on the design of information knowledge "spaces". The author will propose a future implementation of these technologies in relation to the current subject of illustration.by Andrew F. Miller.S.M

A permutational triadic approach to jazz harmony and the chord/scale relationship

This study provides an original triadic theory that combines existing jazz theory, in particular the chord/scale relationship, and mathematical permutation group theory to analyze repertoire, act as a pedagogical tool, and provide a system to create new music. Permutations are defined as group actions on sets, and the sets used here are the constituent consonant triads derived from certain scales. Group structures provide a model by which to understand the relationships held between the triadic set elements as defined by the generating functions. The findings are both descriptive and prescriptive, as triadic permutations offer new insights into existing repertoire. Further, the results serve as an organizational tool for the improviser and composer/arranger. In addition to the ability to describe individual triadic musical events as group actions, we also consider relationships held among the musical events by considering subgroups, conjugacy classes, direct products and semidirect products. As an interdisciplinary study, it is hoped that this work helps to increase the discourse between those in the music subdisciplines of mathematical music theory and jazz studies

Educating Semiosis: Exploring ecological meaning through pedagogy

This thesis consists of six essays – framed by introduction and conclusion chapters – that develop possibilities for philosophy of education and pedagogy from the lens of bio-semiotics and edu-semiotics (biological and educational semiotics). These transdisciplinary inquiries have found commonality in the concept of learning-as-semiosis, or meaning-making across nature/culture bifurcations. Here, quite distinct branches of research intersect with the American scientist-philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce’s (1839 - 1914) pragmatic semiotics. I argue in these essays that the research pathway suggested by the convergence of edu- and bio-semiotics, reveals possibilities for developing a (non-reductive) theory of learning (and pedagogy generally) that puts meaning-making processes in a central light. A fully semiotic theory of learning implores us to take an ecological and biological view of educational processes. These processes explore the complementarity of organism-environment relations and the relationship between learning and biological adaptation. They also unravel new implications for education through the basic recognition that meaning is implicitly ecological. Understanding semiotic philosophy as an educational foundation allows us to take a broader and less dichotomized view of educational dynamics, such as: learning and teaching, curriculum design, arts and music education, inter/trans-disciplinary education, literacy (including environmental and digital literacy), as well as exploring the relationships and continuities between indigenous/place-based and formal pedagogical processes and practices. From this meaning-based and ecological perspective, what is important in the educational encounter is not psychologic explanations of learning stages, predetermined competencies, or top-down implemented learning-outcomes, but rather meaning and significance and how this changes through time-space and with others (not only human others) in a dynamic and changing environment. As addressed more directly in the conclusion chapter, these essays unravel the implications of this emerging approach to the philosophy of education, pedagogy and learning theory, specifically by providing conceptual/philosophical possibilities for integrating arts education, science education, and indigenous place-based knowledge into holistic educational approaches and programs

Design for Relationship Break Ups:Curation of Digital Possessions

University of Technology Sydney. Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology.Individuals in a romantic relationship will typically have a substantial number of digital possessions associated with that relationship; sometimes even creating digital possessions connected to their relationship before meeting in real life. These digital possessions connect partners by contributing to their digital identities as ‘individuals in a relationship’; they are an important part of a digital connection between partners, and actively contribute to the maintenance of that connection. If a romantic relationship ends in a break up, separation, or divorce, the digital possessions that once connected partners in a positive way become responsible for maintaining a connection that no longer accurately reflects the ex-partners’ relationship status. The persistence of digital possessions means that until they are managed or curated in some way, those digital possessions will continue to connect ex-partners in a digital context. The tools and options available to ex-partners when it comes to managing and curating their digital possessions in the context of a relationship break up are limited, and often do not support the specific intent of the individual. In this doctoral thesis, I investigated the ways in which technology could support individuals in managing and curating their digital possessions associated with a past relationship, after that relationship has ended. Through four qualitative studies, this research (1) introduced and evaluated eight prototype grammars of action aimed at supporting individuals to manage and curate their digital possessions in the context of a break up; (2) presented a reproducible method for identifying design dimensions to guide the development of those grammars of action across different life transitions; (3) demonstrated an understanding of the ways in which individuals’ attitudes towards digital possessions may be ‘tainted’ after a break up; and (4) demonstrated the current technical limitations individuals are confronted with when curating and managing digital possessions post-break up

Practice based evidence based practice: navigating complexity in feedback-informed systemic therapy

In this thesis I present a research-based account of designing and practising manualised systemic family therapy and doing practice-based, collaborative work. Some time ago my colleague Bruno Hillewaere and I were asked to start providing standardised, evidence-based systemic therapy. In reviewing the range of standardised approaches that were available at the time, we decided we could not commit to a single model or treatment manual. Our experience suggested to us that in times when therapy derives its legitimacy from control, standardised protocols and benchmarking, little attention is paid to the therapist’s improvisations and those small, unpredictable and non-replicable differences that can make the difference for family members. Accordingly, we decided to develop, describe and research our own family therapy practice that was full of improvisations in response to the exchanges that take place, from one moment to the next, in the context of family therapy. In this thesis I present this work. I refer to it as Practice Based Evidence Based Practice (PBEBP). This thesis traces the ways in which I co-developed, applied and used a fluid manual of Feedback-informed Integrative Therapy within Systems (FITS) as a Practice Based Evidence Based Practice (PBEBP) within the bio-cultural matrix that embeds. I present a theoretical framework, inspired by Neo-Materialism, that integrates cybernetics and social-constructionism in contemporary systemic thinking. The question I ask is how to navigate complexity and offer accountability about the process of systemic learning, without getting drawn into the paradoxical spiral of control. I suggest ways in which therapists may become systemic nomads and describe how to produce ‘validity from within’, remaining open to the unpredictable process of becoming in multi-actor networks of human and non-human generators. I show how the fluid manual of FITS corresponds to the locality and complexity of social and cultural life. FITS as PBEBP is substantiated by collaborative practice-based and generative research. The therapist is both practitioner and researcher and involves clients as co-researchers. Therapist and clients examine the effects of their collaboration. The output of research is input for therapy in the ‘collaborative learning community’ constituted together. I have analysed eight cases of completed FITS therapies with families. I promote collaborative learning through coordinated improvisation, organised feedback and mixed-methods research. Accountability and transparency are provided by the quantitative measurement of developments and collaboration in therapy and the qualitative inquiry of therapist’s navigating practice and collaborative learning. I use quantitative measurements as a prelude to evaluative conversation. I analyse critical moments in the transcripts of those conversations. I discover how therapy practice and research effectively intertwine. I hope to inspire systemic practitioners to manualise and research their own practices as a Practice Based Evidence Based Practice. FITS as PBEBP provides ‘validity from within’ in local and singular cases. This approach is an affirmative and transparent alternative to standardisation of protocols and methods in the field of mental healthcare generally and family therapy specifically

Consumer policy - a network/political economy perspective : an application of the new macro-relational consumer policy framework to study the evolutionary dynamics of the policy community for the Electronic Fund Transfer System (EFTS) consumer issue in Canada

This thesis argued that-sole reliance by government on the micro-economic paradigm. as the rationale for intervening in the marketplace results in too narrow an approach to consumer policy and a lack of appreciation for the dynamic and relational aspects of the consumer policy process. An integration of select constructs from the political economy and network paradigms contributed to the development of a macro-relational consumer policy framework. The network approach provides a relational perspective while the political economy paradigm provides a macro approach to widening consumer policy theory. Together, they offer a macro-relational perspective to compliment the micro-economic approach. The investigator suggests that the computerization of the Canadian payment system represents a change in the technological sphere of the macro policy environment. This change challenges the marketplace interests of the consumer policy network constituents (secondary policy environment). The stakeholders affected by this change coalesce into a policy community to balance respective interests. This primary policy environment, evolutionary in nature (internal policy activity, then dyadic, multidyadic, and triadic), will exhibit varying patterns of stakeholder interaction, relationship development and network dynamics. Propositions developed, to explain the evolutionary dynamics of the policy community guided the content analysis, the case study and the network analysis. Relational data (matrices and graphs) profiled the chronological maps of the relationships of the aggregate, constituent and dyadic sets of stakeholders. A multi-layered network analysis revealed an evolutionary process and a policy community which varied on several interaction dimensions (frequency, directedness, durability, role perception, intensity) and network dimensions (size, density, connectedness, cohesiveness, knittedness, stability). To mirror parallel initiatives in complimentary disciplines, stakeholders and future macro-relational consumer policy researchers are challenged to embrace the powerful network/political economy perspective to profit from stimulating theoretical and pragmatic insights into the complex, dynamic consumer policy process.This thesis argued that-sole reliance by government on the micro-economic paradigm. as the rationale for intervening in the marketplace results in too narrow an approach to consumer policy and a lack of appreciation for the dynamic and relational aspects of the consumer policy process. An integration of select constructs from the political economy and network paradigms contributed to the development of a macro-relational consumer policy framework. The network approach provides a relational perspective while the political economy paradigm provides a macro approach to widening consumer policy theory. Together, they offer a macro-relational perspective to compliment the micro-economic approach. The investigator suggests that the computerization of the Canadian payment system represents a change in the technological sphere of the macro policy environment. This change challenges the marketplace interests of the consumer policy network constituents (secondary policy environment). The stakeholders affected by this change coalesce into a policy community to balance respective interests. This primary policy environment, evolutionary in nature (internal policy activity, then dyadic, multidyadic, and triadic), will exhibit varying patterns of stakeholder interaction, relationship development and network dynamics. Propositions developed, to explain the evolutionary dynamics of the policy community guided the content analysis, the case study and the network analysis. Relational data (matrices and graphs) profiled the chronological maps of the relationships of the aggregate, constituent and dyadic sets of stakeholders. A multi-layered network analysis revealed an evolutionary process and a policy community which varied on several interaction dimensions (frequency, directedness, durability, role perception, intensity) and network dimensions (size, density, connectedness, cohesiveness, knittedness, stability). To mirror parallel initiatives in complimentary disciplines, stakeholders and future macro-relational consumer policy researchers are challenged to embrace the powerful network/political economy perspective to profit from stimulating theoretical and pragmatic insights into the complex, dynamic consumer policy process

Hypertext Semiotics in the Commercialized Internet

Die Hypertext Theorie verwendet die selbe Terminologie, welche seit Jahrzehnten in der semiotischen Forschung untersucht wird, wie z.B. Zeichen, Text, Kommunikation, Code, Metapher, Paradigma, Syntax, usw. Aufbauend auf jenen Ergebnissen, welche in der Anwendung semiotischer Prinzipien und Methoden auf die Informatik erfolgreich waren, wie etwa Computer Semiotics, Computational Semiotics und Semiotic Interface Engineering, legt diese Dissertation einen systematischen Ansatz für all jene Forscher dar, die bereit sind, Hypertext aus einer semiotischen Perspektive zu betrachten. Durch die Verknüpfung existierender Hypertext-Modelle mit den Resultaten aus der Semiotik auf allen Sinnesebenen der textuellen, auditiven, visuellen, taktilen und geruchlichen Wahrnehmung skizziert der Autor Prolegomena einer Hypertext-Semiotik-Theorie, anstatt ein völlig neues Hypertext-Modell zu präsentieren. Eine Einführung in die Geschichte der Hypertexte, von ihrer Vorgeschichte bis zum heutigen Entwicklungsstand und den gegenwärtigen Entwicklungen im kommerzialisierten World Wide Web bilden den Rahmen für diesen Ansatz, welcher als Fundierung des Brückenschlages zwischen Mediensemiotik und Computer-Semiotik angesehen werden darf. Während Computer-Semiotiker wissen, dass der Computer eine semiotische Maschine ist und Experten der künstlichen Intelligenz-Forschung die Rolle der Semiotik in der Entwicklung der nächsten Hypertext-Generation betonen, bedient sich diese Arbeit einer breiteren methodologischen Basis. Dementsprechend reichen die Teilgebiete von Hypertextanwendungen, -paradigmen, und -strukturen, über Navigation, Web Design und Web Augmentation zu einem interdisziplinären Spektrum detaillierter Analysen, z.B. des Zeigeinstrumentes der Web Browser, des Klammeraffen-Zeichens und der sogenannten Emoticons. Die Bezeichnung ''Icon'' wird als unpassender Name für jene Bildchen, welche von der graphischen Benutzeroberfläche her bekannt sind und in Hypertexten eingesetzt werden, zurückgewiesen und diese Bildchen durch eine neue Generation mächtiger Graphic Link Markers ersetzt. Diese Ergebnisse werden im Kontext der Kommerzialisierung des Internet betrachtet. Neben der Identifizierung der Hauptprobleme des eCommerce aus der Perspektive der Hypertext Semiotik, widmet sich der Autor den Informationsgütern und den derzeitigen Hindernissen für die New Economy, wie etwa der restriktiven Gesetzeslage in Sachen Copyright und Intellectual Property. Diese anachronistischen Beschränkungen basieren auf der problematischen Annahme, dass auch der Informationswert durch die Knappheit bestimmt wird. Eine semiotische Analyse der iMarketing Techniken, wie z.B. Banner Werbung, Keywords und Link Injektion, sowie Exkurse über den Browser Krieg und den Toywar runden die Dissertation ab